His Dragons & Her Monsters
by RavenRois
Summary: Could a man who dedicated his life slaying dragons have time for a woman and save her from her monsters?She reached out to that eccentric boy she found in the park 10 years ago and a case would cross their paths again. They would be tossed from one case after another in a world festered with unrelenting sins. Would the 2 possibly find love in the midst of chaos? (L x Misa) ;D
1. Legend

I

It's 8 in the morning and the briefing room in an uptown police station is hustlin' and bustlin'. With coffee, a case file or a notebook in hand, the ladies and gents took their seats and tried to settle down.

"We sure are starting pretty early today, eh?" Aiber yawned and took a sip from his cup of hot coffee.

"This maniac on the loose sure is giving everyone a headache; it's been a long 5 months…" Matsuda said as he flipped through the pages of his notebook.

"Yeah and it seems like we're going to go back to square one. That butcher, Smithson, he was just a bait used by the unsub to again twist the whole investigation, same as that guy in the band, Schafer. Now we have another cold Barbie in need of justice." Aiber said with a sigh.

"As of now the only thing we're sure of is that the unsub is a male, has a doll fetish, leaves no trace behind and he is artistic in his own gory way."

"I can't believe that even the FBI doesn't have a sure lead on this one but it looks like the unsub is back in our territory where he started 5 months ago." said Aiber as he finished his coffee. He stretched and yawned again. He wasn't really a morning person. Matsuda who was reviewing his notes on the case suddenly stopped and nudged Aiber who instantly sat up when the chief came in.

"Everyone, around 5 a.m. this morning we've received a call from an old woman down in 12th. Just across her home, in the playground, the 9th cold Barbie was found." The chief said with a grim look on his face. He clicked the projector remote to reveal the picture from the crime scene to everyone. Matsuda felt sick, he didn't have the stomach to look at stuff such as the one on the screen, and he felt thankful that he wasn't part of the team who went there that morning. He glanced at Aiber who didn't seem to bother the disturbing picture.

Despite feeling his stomach churn and turn Matsuda decided to focus on the picture, taking in every detail of it. The cold Barbie, this is what they decided to call the case and the victims as well, was sitting below a tree, naked, its legs spread in a way that a child would leave a doll after playing with it, missing a pinky, eyes dead but open and lips sewn shut.

_"The unsub's victims are all particularly attractive women. All were blondes, ages 17-23. He preserves the body and leaves it looking pretty and creepy. Naked. The lips were always sewn shut and the eyes open. Rope marks around the ankle and wrist area. Whip marks here and there. There would be lacerations and bruises in the private areas, caused by foreign objects. There are usually no signs of struggle, since victims are drugged. A pinky would always be missing from either hand, probably the unsub takes it as a trophy. All are killed due to intracranial hemorrhage caused by blunt object"_ Matsuda noted in his mind.

The chief sighed as he finished his brief. "We have no idea who would be the next target. There are thousands of women in this city fit to be the next target and we can't just tell them to lock their selves up until the unsub is caught. For all we know as we are speaking right now he might be off to another city. Now any questions, ideas and leads?" There were several questions raised, ideas thrown and then the chief received a phone call, he excused himself to answer it and was back after a couple of minutes.

"I was just informed that the big boss decided to seek help from the outside, the request was sent just moments ago, with hopes that one of those legendary detectives would take the case. I personally wanted us to solve this on our own because I believe we can but as much as I hate to admit it we are nowhere near to solving the case." The chief said with another sigh. There were raised brows and questioning looks. 90% of the people in the room didn't know what the chief was talking about.

"Legendary detectives? You mean….." Matsuda exclaimed in surprise. Not everyone knows of the legendary detectives, 3 of the best alive today. They're enigmatic, eccentric but extremely capable and intelligent. To most people in law enforcement the legendary detectives are just an urban legend, something detectives came up with on their coffee breaks. Matsuda being a fan boy that he is have always believed that the 3 existed. Deneuve, Coil and the one who's completely a mystery, whose name or rather alias he only heard twice, L.

"Matsuda, close your mouth. You're drooling" Aiber said slapping Matsuda lightly.

"Did you just heard what chief said?! If that is so we'd have a chance to rub elbows with either of the 3!" Matsuda said excitedly.

"Idiot! We ain't even sure if they're going to take the case and besides you won't be rubbing elbows with them. No one has ever seen them, so calm those tits of yours ok?"

"You're right… that sure got me excited" Matsuda said with an embarrassed smile.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

In a room somewhere, with insufficient lighting and only a laptop and some other small electronics on the floor, the rapid typing was interrupted with a series of sneeze.

"Is the room too cold? Don't tell me you caught a cold." An old man in a black suit said in a concerned voice as he entered the room with a silver tray in hand. "I should probably make you tea later, there's this tea I used to drink when I'm have an impending cold." added the old man as he walked towards the crouched figure on the floor.

"I'm feeling just fine. Thank you for your concern Watari, but I'd rather have sweet coffee and a bowl of strawberry ice-cream with sprinkles in it."

"I have arranged for our flight back to England two days from now but I received a request from the police just a while ago." Watari said as he placed down a brown envelope, a cup of coffee and a jar of sugar cubes beside the crouched figure whose eyes didn't left the monitor.

Running his long elegant fingers on the envelope, he held it up with a thumb and a finger as if to inspect it with the light from the laptop. He carefully opened the enveloped and picked the pages out of it and laid them in a line in front of him. He opened the jar and started dropping sugar cubes in the cup of coffee. He then slowly stirred it with a silver teaspoon and then took a couple of sips before putting it down only to add a couple more sugar cubes in it.

"Interesting. I have been looking up on the case just now; it was on the local news this morning." said the crouched figure as he started nibbling on his thumb. He eyed each page he took out from the envelope, taking in every detail and information he can get and then he focused on the pictures. Picking them up one by one with the same manner he did before.

"Watari, looks like we're going to have to cancel that flight back to England."

"So you're taking on this one." replied the old man.

Putting the picture down and then taking the cup of coffee and finishing it in one slurp, the crouched figure replied. "I guess Coil wouldn't mind to take on a serial killer. Watari, you know what to do"

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

"No way! Coil took the case?!" Matsuda exclaimed almost jumping out from his seat.

"Jeez, can you at least try to hide your excitement" Aiber said as he sat back at his chair.

"Matsuda, this is serious business. You're not going to get your autograph either because he won't be showing himself here at the station. We were instructed that we would communicate through the number he gave us. He asked for everything we have gathered since the killings started, even our thoughts on the case and list of possible suspects." Said another detective who is part of the team assigned for the case.

The next 1 hour was spent on discussing theories on the case, the possible suspects, evidence gathered on the recent victim, information about her personal life, her whereabouts and activities before she disappeared.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

A raven haired man, tall and lean, with pale white skin which matches his dark eyes with dark circles under them, walking in his usual slouched posture, took a seat in a black couch in the middle of a vast room, devoid from any unnecessary decorations. He sat in his habitual crouched position. He took the bowl of strawberry ice-cream with sprinkles in front of him and started eating.

"Should I now contact the police department?" said Watari who stood across the couch with a phone in hand.

"Please do" replied the man who was busy licking ice cream off his spoon. The old man then dialed a number and just after 3 rings someone answered. The old man did the introductions and then handed the phone to the raven haired man.

"Hello? This is Detective Aiber, so do I now have the pleasure of talking to Detective Eraldo Coil?" Aiber said with a grin on the other side of the line. Matsuda has his head right next to the phone, despite the call being on speaker.

"I'd get to the point Det. Aiber, the suspect to the recent murder sure is from your city. He moves here and there to kill but he doesn't stay far from home. The other one should be making his move in a couple of days or a week." replied the raven haired man who just made his voice sound more mature and imposing.

"Other one?" Aiber replied a bit surprised that the idea Matsuda threw out about having more than one unsub might be true.

The raven haired man stirred the melted ice cream on his bowl. He sighed, thinking how much he hated to explain everything to others but did anyway. "Yes. I've noticed a difference between the victims from the west coast and those from the east. The way the mouths were stitched and the women themselves. 4 of those from the west are no taller than 5"5 and have smaller body frames, while the 5 on the east have athletic builds and their height ranges from 5"8- 6. The suspects spread the date of the killings in a way that it would seem like he was travelling from one point to the other. The stitches, looks the same at the first couple of glance but if you look at them closely the ones on the victims from the west are not as meticulously done as the others."

Everyone in the Cold Barbie case team is quiet listening closely to every word. Some shuffled to grab the case files and checked the observations given to them by the detective. Their eyes widened as they realized Coil was correct.

"Det. Aiber, by any chance that someone is sitting right next to you, listening closely to our conversation? If yes then please tell him to stop breathing on the speakers, I find it really annoying." Upon hearing this Aiber pushed Matsuda's face away from the phone and glared at him. Others from the team tried to control their laughter as they watched Matsuda's face turn bright red.

"The killings seem to be answering each other; I wonder if the suspects are in a competition? Anyway we'll find out. It seems like the two are related by blood or bond. If we catch one, then we'll find the other. I'll be leaving the one on the east to your team and I'd take care of the other. That's all for now, in 5 minutes you'd receive my complete opinion and analysis of the case through Det. Aiber's mail. Please discuss things amongst yourselves first if you have questions. I hate repeating myself. You know how to reach me." The call ended before Aiber can even say "Ok", "What the hell!" or "Goodbye".

* * *

**Note:**_ So hey there! Thanks for reading chapter I! Hoping you read on hahaha and please do leave a review :)) _

_*unsub means Unknown subject._


	2. Doll

**II **

"Pretty" said a raspy voice as he scanned the glossy pages of a magazine. There was a devious smile on his face coupled with a controlled laughter. Then he froze. He stood up, a frenzy look crossed his face and then he licked his lips sensually as he took in every detail of the girl in an angel costume in the magazine's ad page.

"What a pretty doll." He said with a grin. He lowered his head to the magazine and licked the body of the model on the ad page. He imagined slowly taking off that angel costume she's wearing. He wondered how she'd taste. She looked like a pretty little doll, blond hair with straight bangs, innocent big brown eyes, cherry colored lips, bosom just enough to satisfy a man's desire and well-toned legs.

_"I wonder if she likes it rough?" _he thought as he pulled his jeans down and started rubbing his privates. A bit of interesting information caught his eye, something that would make his hunt for this one easier. _"Misa Amane, teen model"_ stated in small black letters at the bottom of the ad page.

He then imagined how she'd stare back at him in horror, when she's all drugged up; numb but awake, aware of what is happening, feeling every bit of pleasure and pain. Just the thought of it almost made him climax. His eyes didn't leave the picture as he pleasured himself. He started moaning her name, imagining her stiff body on his table as he tries to play with her, inserting his toys on her until he find the one that fits perfectly. He imagined how he'd have a tea party with her cold, lifeless body. He felt his body weakening from the extreme pleasure he felt. He pumped himself faster and the thought of her pained but beautiful face plagued his mind and then he climaxed. Panting and moaning he wiped the release in his hand to her picture and then he laughed. _"Let's play soon, Misa"_

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

"I just love taking your photos Misa!" cheered the photographer. "All right that's all for today" he added as approached Misa who was busy thanking the people around her.

"Carlo!" Misa beamed as she tightly hugged the photographer and creative director of a local magazine.

"Are you sure that you don't want to stay here longer? I may find you a huge project you know." Carlo tried convincing her.

"Oww! Carlo! You don't want me to go?" Misa said still not letting go of her good friend. Carlo was like a sister to her. "I'd love to stay but I promised my parents that I'd finish high school before officially focusing on modeling. They got angry with me when I decided to stop for a year just to try that competition back home, then I lost, that's why I was sent here to my granny anyway." Misa said with a sigh.

"You still respect their decisions despite that. You must love them very much to turn your back on a big opportunity in here just to fulfill your promise to them." Carlo said as he let go of Misa.

Misa smiled at him. "Of course I love them. I know they're just worried about me and my future. Also I miss home a lot more than I originally imagined." Misa then glanced at her clock and left Carlo's side to quickly gather her things then ran to the changing room.

"What's the hurry dear? Won't you have dinner with us?" Carlo asked.

"My granny said that she'd have a feast for the two of us. I promised to be home early today. I'm really sorry Carlo." Misa answered from inside the changing room. Minutes later she was already in her signature black skirt with laces, tank top, accessories, ankle boots and red leather jacket. She hugged Carlo once more before leaving, kissed his cheek and bid him good bye.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

The dinner was great and what made it better was the fact that she got permission from her grandmother to go on a self-guided tour for a week before returning home. She's got tons of places she wants to visit in mind, too bad she's got no relatives there to go with her and the few friends she made are dead busy with their lives. She frowned at the thought of it but she instantly beamed up.

_"A time alone wouldn't be that bad. I'd be free to do what I want for a week and I'm sure to make new friends! I might even find love on my 1 week journey!"_ She thought with a big silly smile on her face as she arranged her luggage and picked out clothes that she would like to bring on her trip.

Unknown to her was the danger lurking just outside her house, patiently waiting.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

_"I just love the thrill of trailing someone, in broad daylight none the less. My skin is crawling with anticipation. I really can't hold myself any longer. Brother, do you feel the same when you stalk your dolls? They always disappear. They never thought we'd go after them. This time my doll would be better that yours. She's cute and lively. This is going to be so much fun!"_ thought the decent looking guy in a dark blue suit. His car, a darkly tinted white Chevy, was parked just in front of him. He knew that any time now his target would pass by him.

He looked around to confirm that no one is around. It was the cemetery area after all, only the ghosts would witness what he was going to do. The moment he saw her turning the corner he pretended to be talking to someone on the phone. _ "She's getting closer and closer. My doll looks cute as usual, that black bouncy dress, how I'd low to tear it off her body now." _ He thought as he did his best to play it cool. Just when she was about to pass by him, he casually called out her name.

"Misa" he said with a warm and friendly smile. Misa stopped at her tracks, looked up at the guy and smiled. She was introduced to many people in the neighborhood by her granny but she didn't remember all of them well, like this guy.

"Good morning!" Misa replied in a jolly manner and was about to continue walking but the guy blocked her way.

"Uhhmmm this is awkward but can I have your autograph." He said and then without waiting for another moment he injected her with a drug. He hit her right in the arm. He then gently but firmly held her in his arms and placed her on the back seat of his car. He quickly got in the driver's seat and drove off.

"My pretty little doll, Misa. We're going to have so much fun in my play house." He said with a laugh as he glanced at the unconscious figure at the back of his car.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

_"Jeez, I feel like I just got ran over by a bus. Where am I anyway?"_ She thought as she tried to move her head a bit. The walls are covered with light blue wallpaper with little stars and clouds, behind her was a single bed covered in pink and white sheets, there were no windows and in front of her was a small table with a tea set all laid out on top of it. Then she heard a soft music coming from somewhere right outside the door. The song seemed a lively one but it sent chills down her spine.

_"Dominique, nique, nique s'en, allait tout simplement, routier pauvre et chantant…." _The song went on and on.

She felt like she was half asleep and then it hit her. She was abducted by a man, in a dark blue suit with a white car when she was on her way to the bus stop. Panic surged throughout her body. She tried to move her legs, her arms and even shake her body but she can't. She tried to open her mouth to scream but she can't feel them too. All she can manage to do was whimper and make small sound that won't be of any help to her.

_"WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME!" _she screamed in her mind. Tears started rolling down her cheeks. She was numb all over. She started praying and begging for her dear life. She tried her best and shook herself once more and then she fell on the floor. She still can't move her body but from her position she saw that she just fell from a small chair.

She felt her stomach tighten in fear as the door of the room slowly opened. The creepy music became louder the moment the door opened and then turned down when the door closed. Standing in the door was the man who abducted her. He was tall and slightly muscled, wearing a stained shirt and jeans. He's got dark hair, tanned skin and green eyes. All in all he looked nice, making it hard for someone to think of him as a psycho that he is.

" . You shouldn't move around Misa. Look, you fell from your chair." The man said as he walked towards her and lifted her up and placed her back in the chair. If only she can move she won't allow the guy to touch her.

"How about we have tea before play time?" The man said with a sly grin.

"Tears, they don't suit you well Misa. Besides, dolls don't cry." He said as he sat across her in the small table. He poured himself tea and then filled Misa's cup.

_"This is sick! Let me go!" _Misa cried in her head. She continued to try her best to move, until she managed to move the fingers in her right hand.

Misa froze when the guy moved his chair beside her and ran his hands up her thigh. The guy then placed gentle kisses on her shoulders, which made her shiver.

The man licked her shoulder blade and then her neck. "You're just as soft and sweet as I thought you to be when I first saw you." He said and then he pulled down the strap of Misa's dress with his teeth.

"Please… don't…" Misa finally managed to say

"My doll just spoke!" He exclaimed with glee and then he rubbed his hand in her thighs making his way up her privates. She felt like she was going to vomit any time soon. His hands were rough and cold. Misa again pushed herself, with her undying will, to move. This time she was able to move her legs a bit.

Her leg hit the small table causing the cup of hot tea to pour over the man's crotch. He was in pain. He stood up and flipped the table over in rage.

"I HATE IT WHEN YOU'RE LIKE THIS! WHY CAN'T YOU BEHAVE?" He yelled at her. He charged at her and just when she thought he was going to pounce on her, she felt like she was lifted from her seat.

"_Damn it. Legs! Arms! Please move!" _She pleads, hoping she can completely gain back her mobility.

She was carried out the door. She then felt like she hit something cold and hard. The man then disappeared from her line of sight and seemed to be walking away. The room smelled like chemicals and she can hear water dripping from somewhere. Slightly moving her head to her right, she saw tools, different sex toys and a whip on a small table. Her head started to pulsate in fear and she felt nauseous.

_"Is this it for me? Am I going to die by his hands? I guess that creepy song would be the last thing I'll hear then…" _She was almost giving up hope but she shook the thought away. The people she loved and her plans for the future flashed before her, these thoughts gave her an inspiration not to give up hope yet.

"_I won't die here!"_ With this motivation in mind Misa sucked it up and tried to come up with something to save her ass.


	3. Chances

**III **

"L" called Watari upon entering the raven haired detective's lair. It was dark as usual, only the light from his laptop and 4 other monitors illuminates the room. It has been hot all day and so the orange rays of the hot afternoon sun are creeping in between the small gaps from the heavy drapery on the sole window in the room.

"Yes, Watari" replied L as he turned to look at the old man. He was munching on a spoonful of Nutella, the opened jar in front of him.

"The local police department has already confirmed their cooperation for the case. They've contacted the team from the east coast and both are working with the F.B.I. agents assigned to the case" informed Watari who exited the room after seeing L nod in confirmation.

"It has been 3 days since the last one, anytime now" mumbled L to himself as he took another spoonful of Nutella to his mouth. _"Who would've thought we'd be in the same city. Dolls. It is really interesting how obsessions can turn into something, despicable."_

_"I've managed to narrow down my suspects to 3. Aiber and his team should also be able to narrow down their suspect list by now. At one point in their life the victims from the east side lived in the same area downtown. Looks like the culprit, had his eyes on those women for a long time. At the time the women were between the ages of 12-15. Years later the women moved to another city but the guy was still obsessed with them. They were his dolls after all. Then he went after them. I wonder what triggered his desire to do so, after all those years of just looking at them." _L took another spoonful and licked it slowly as if to savor every bit of the chocolate.

_ "I'm sure he lives in that same neighborhood still, despite having left the victims in the city where they currently live. He's a doctor, it shows in his handy works, the way he amputates the finger and the stitches. They have thought of him as a doctor before but they didn't knew where to start looking, also somewhere along the line the blame was placed on a butcher and guitarist, which threw off the investigation" _L was so deep in thought that he already halved the contents of the Nutella jar.

_"I should always have one of this around" _he thought as he took another spoonful to his mouth.

_"The one on the west side is probably someone related by blood or a good friend who shares the same fetish. The victims in the west seem random. The connection isn't apparent and vague. Unlike the one on the east who was stuck with blond girls from the neighborhood, this one seems to have his eyes on women who are trophy material. The first one won the local pageant, next was a model student, then a cheer leader and then an aspiring stage actress. The victims are from this city, making it easier to zero in on him. They share the exact same signature and method, this one and the one from the east, making everyone think that they are only after one guy." _He started flipping his spoon and catches it.

_ "There is a competition between the two but they are coordinated at the same time. Days or a week after the one on the east kills, the one on the west would strike as if in reply. I'm sure that the guy I'm looking for is from this city, somewhere." _He thought and then sighed. He stood up and slowly made his way out his room, with the spoon and Nutella jar in hand. _"I shall ask Watari for more of this"_

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

_"What now?!" _Misa screamed in her mind the moment the man returned with a rope in hand. The man placed it down with the other tools in the table. The man stood beside her and for a moment all she can see was his face and the big dirty smile on his lips. He looked demented and rabid.

The man pulled the table with the tools and things right next to the table were Misa lay. His hand traveled from one thing to the other, trying to decide what to pick first.

At the moment, Misa actually felt like the life on her arms have already returned and when the guy turned for a moment to focus on his toys, she tried pinching her arm with her other hand. She felt the pain and was glad to know that at least she can move her arms. She knows that the man can easily over power her, so she should be careful what she does next.

_"_I really like you, so I guess I'll play with you with my bare hands" He said as he turned to her. Misa pretended to still be paralyzed. He got on the table with her. He parted her legs and positioned himself in between them. With his tongue he traced little circles on her thighs, breathing on her skin, moaning and groaning in excitement.

Misa got goose bumps all over her body. Her heart was in her throat. He pushed her skirt up and traced her lower regions with his finger. He then crawled over her and pulled down her top with force, ripping her dress and exposing her mounds. He ran his tongue over them, pulling down her bra to expose her nipples which he teased with his thumb.

He looked up at her longing to see the horrified look in her eyes. This was an opportunity for her to do something. The moment the guy stared up at her, she plunged her long nails into the man's eyes. One of her fingers damage the man's left eye but looks like he was barely hurt in the other. Still, her attack was enough to send the guy falling off, rolling on the floor with pain.

The sudden rush of adrenaline, due to her success, allowed Misa to sit up. She tried to get off the table but her legs can barely move. The man was already starting to sit up, trying to regain his composure after ripping part of his shirt to place over his bleeding eyes. He was roaring in anger, cursing her and swearing to kill her.

Determined to get out of the place, Misa reached for the scissors in the tool table. Without even thinking about it, she stabbed herself in the thigh. The pain helped return life to her limp legs. She neglected the pain and jumped of the table, still with the scissors in hand. Her body was still weak but she managed to crawl her way up the stairs. She realized that she was in a basement. She tried to push open the heavy door on the ceiling with every last strength her arms have.

Just when she manages to open the door, the man caught up to her and pulled her back down to the basement floor. Her head hit the steps a couple of times but luckily she didn't lost consciousness. Before she knew it the man was already over her but before the guy can do anything further to hurt her she stabbed the guy with the scissors. The man fell beside her, screaming and shaking in pain, the scissor sticking out in his collar bone, blood gushing out of the wound.

Misa didn't bother staying to watch and instantly crawled back up to the surface. After successfully managing to pull herself out the basement, she slammed the doors close. The basement door led to a backyard. Looking around she realized that the place seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. She can see no lights or houses, just trees leading to a forest.

She took a moment to catch her breath and let her tears fall. The early evening breeze chilled her. She held her tattered dress close to her body. Looking up the sky she saw the black silhouette of birds flying in the orange patched dark sky.

"I did it…" She managed to say, wiping her tears from her face. Her momentary relief was disturbed by the loud footsteps and furious screams from below. "YOU BITCH!"came the angered voice. This was her cue. Without even bothering to look back she ran for it.

She went through the forest. It was dark, cold and scary but she now felt safer and better compared to when she was down there in the freak's basement. After 10 minutes of running she stopped to catch her breath. She started to feel the searing pain in her leg, which was caused by her. She also felt something wet running down the side of her head. She touched it and realized that she was bleeding, probably from when she was pulled down the stairs.

When she felt like she can go on again, she broke into a run, forgetting about her wounds and the pain she felt. Finally after 3 more minutes of running she hit the road. To her dismay, the road seemed deserted. She almost felt like breaking down right there in the middle of the road but she reminded herself that the man might still be after her.

She followed the road, no longer running but briskly limping, not knowing where it was heading.

"Please! Somebody help!" She screamed as she started sobbing. She didn't know how much longer she can keep it up. She felt like she was walking for an eternity. The sounds of animals from the forest were all she can hear along with her desperate calls for help in between sobs.

"Mom….Dad….Granny…. I'm sorry… I…." she said deliriously "Help me….I want to go…home…" And then she fell on her knees. Tears, blood and sweat mixed in her cheek. She slowly felt her body falling forward. She can feel the rough surface of the road against her face, the smell of soil and leaves evaded her senses. Her vision was slowly fading to black. The last thing she heard was the sound of an approaching vehicle. "Please….help…" she choked and then she was out cold.

* * *

**Note:** _So I know some people say that Nutella is overrated but shit that! Nutella is so 'effin good! I was eating one while doing this chapter hahaha Anyway please do leave a review :) It would be greatly appreciated 3__  
_


	4. Chocolate

**IV **

Shaking, grasping for air and cheeks stained in tears. That was how Misa woke up from her nightmare.

"I…I'm alive.." she muttered to herself as she slowly sat up. Her body ached and she was feeling weak. She runs her fingers over the side of her face and felt something gauze like over her wound. As she tried to comb her hair away from her face she felt a small lump on her head which made her flinch. She pushed away the sheets covering her and she saw that the scratches and wound from her legs were already treated. Realizing that everything in her nightmare was real, the abduction, the crazy man, that cold table, those things and tools, the basement, the forest and all else, she started to silently cry. All she wanted to do was scream in agony and disbelief over what happened to her but she was too weak to do so.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

"I'll go and check on our guest, now" Watari said after glancing at his watch then got up the seat right next to the raven haired detective.

"If she happen to be capable of talking, please do ask her to tell you what exactly happened to her" L said as he lined up his gummy bears in the table. Watari just nodded and took off.

Watari went up the stairs and walked down the hallway and stopped at the last door to the right. He knocked softly 3 times before opening the door. The room was dark and the person whom he left sleeping quietly almost half a day ago was awake and is quietly trembling in the corner of the bed under the covers.

"Please, don't hurt me" she said quivering as she took a peak from under the covers.

"It's alright now miss. I was driving home when I saw you laying down the middle of the road. You've got wounds and you seem to be in shock, you needed help so I've brought you to my home to be treated right away." The old man said in a relaxed grandfather voice.

Misa was silent for a while. "You…. You saved me…." Misa mumbled and then she came out from under the covers started crying once more and bowed her head at the old man.

"Thank you! Thank you very much for saving me. I thought I was going to die and was never going to see my parents again and go back home!" Misa sobbed.

"Are you feeling better now? If so, would you want anything to eat?" the old man inquired.

Misa looked up and smiled at him as she wiped the tears from her face. "I'm feeling a bit better now and I could really use a drink"

The old man smiled back at her and left the room right away.

Misa stared at the old man as he left. _"Where am I anyway?"_ she thought as she slowly got out of bed. Realizing that she was still wearing the same tattered dress she grabbed a blanket and wrapped herself in it. She looked around the dark room. The room was empty, except for the bed and the small table near the bed. The curtains are drawn and she thought that she could really use some sunlight. She opened the heavy drapes and the view from outside her room took her breath away. She can see the lush forest and the ocean from her window.

Moments later the old man returned with food and a cup in a tray. He placed it down the only table in the room.

"It is just about time for breakfast and I hope a cup of hot tea and a sandwich would do" the old man said. Misa went over the table, she doesn't really just take food from strangers but her hunger was killing her and just about any food will do at the moment.

"Thank you. I'm sorry for the bother" She said with a bow. She was about to start eating when she realized that she forgot to ask the old man's name.

"Uhhmmm….I'm Misa. Misa Amane. What's your name?" She said as she extended a hand to the old man.

The old man gently shook her hand and replied, "Nice to meet you Miss Amane, call me Watari" with this the old man smiled and collected his tray and was about to leave the room once more.

"Wait!" Misa called. Watari stopped and looked at her. "I'm sorry again for the bother but, I was wondering if I can borrow some clothes? Also no need to call me Miss, just Misa would do."

Watari answered with a smile and left the room. Misa then started to munch on the food in front of her.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

The old man returned with just a white cotton long sleeved shirt. Misa was told that he can't find anything that would go with it at the moment but promised her that he shall find something for her soon. Misa decided to be a bit crafty with her dress and torn of the tattered top part leaving the lower part to serve as a skirt. She took a shower and put on her skirt and the shirt she was given.

_"This shirt feels soft. I doubt that this is owned by the old man. I wonder if there is someone else in this house. I haven't heard anyone or met anyone else other than Watari since I woke up." _She thought, feeling a bit nervous. She started thinking that maybe she was saved by another psycho. She almost screamed at the thought of it.

She wanted to go back to bed but a strong urge is pulling her to go out the door. As she was about to open the door, she heard someone walking outside, then a door opening then closing. _"Was that Watari?" _she asked herself. To answer her question she peeked outside her door and slowly went out.

_"The house was actually larger than I imagined" _she thought as she looked around. There are 4 other rooms besides hers. She's a curious cat but she dare not open any of the doors.

She was about to turn the corner when Watari appeared. She jumped back and shrieked in surprise.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. Did you need anything?" the old man asked.

"No, I…I just wanted to go out and thank everyone in the house for taking me in." She said with a nervous smile.

"There's no need for that you've already thanked me enough"

_"Does he mean that he is the only one who leaves here? No way, someone just entered the other room just now" _Misa thought but just tried to push the thought away.

"Anyway, I thought you'd love to eat something else other than the sandwich I've served you earlier. If you may, please do follow me downstairs" said the old man as he turned and started walking to stairs.

Misa followed Watari and once they're downstairs she was welcomed with another room in need of more furniture and decorations, even color. She guessed it was the living room, because of the sofa, the coffee table and the flat screen T.V. on the wall. The dining room was just across the living room, it housed a table covered in white, 4 chairs, a couple of built in cabinets and a 2 door fridge. Watari disappeared into the next room and came out with a slice of cake topped with fruits and tea.

"Thank you very much Watari" Misa thanked as she took a bite. _"Forget about diet, I'm still starving"_

"I actually want to inquire about how you ended up in the middle of the road, with scratches and wounds" asked the old man in his usual calm voice. Misa froze and she dropped her fork. She didn't really felt like discussing it but she knew that the old man has the right to know, he saved her anyway. She would have to tell it to the authorities if she wants to file a case against the man so she had to get used to retelling her story.

"I….I…." She started but as she thought about what happened to her, she started feeling the man's touch on her skin, his lingering tongue, that creepy song and everything on that basement. "I'm sorry. I don't feel hungry at the moment." She said and then she ran off back to her room. She hid under the covers and cried.

Moments later, L went downstairs and sat on the sofa eating strawberry pretzel squares.

"Watari, seems like the guest is really upset. I can hear her cries all the way to my room." L said

"Is that so? I tried inquiring about what happened to her but she got upset so I just let her go."

Without replying, L stood up and went to the next room. He came out with a chocolate bar in hand and gave it to Watari.

"That might make her feel better." L said as he crouched at the sofa munching on his sweets, rubbing his feet over the other. Watari smiled and nod. He started walking to the stairs.

"Did you get her name?" L inquired stopping the old man on his tracks.

"Misa Amane" Watari replied and he continued up the stairs.

"Misa Amane….Why does that name sound so familiar?" L said to himself as he finished his strawberry squares and picked another one from the plate in front of him. He paused, remembering something, as he was about to take a bite. _"Could she be the same person?"_ he thought. He then took a couple of bites, before swallowing his strawberry squares and returned to work.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

"I must've fallen asleep while crying. I even slept the whole day, I can't believe it" Misa said as she looked at her red and puffy eyes at the bathroom mirror. She has always been conscious about her looks but then she thought no one but the old man is going to see her when she walks out the room so it doesn't matter.

As she walked out to her room she picked up the chocolate bar on top of the table. _"Old men giving chocolate bars to girls my age can be weird and creepy, but he doesn't seem to be that sort of old guy. I must tell him I'm sorry for running of like that this morning. That was rude of me"_ she thought with a sigh.

She took the chocolate bar with her and went out her room. The hallway was faintly lighted by the lights that lined the wall. _"This house sure is creepy, I wonder where the old man is"_ she said as she peeked around the corner before making her way to the stairs.

"Watari?" she called out as she walked down the stairs. The supposedly living room faintly illuminated by a couple of lamps and a number of lights on the wall. There was also a laptop, on top of the coffee table; by the looks of it someone was just using it. Besides it was a cup of coffee, jar of sugar cubes and a number of papers and disturbing pictures which made her skin crawl.

She heard footsteps from the dining room. She gasped in fear. She wanted to start running but her legs felt heavy. The dining room was dark but based on the light coming from there, someone just open the fridge. Her heart was beating like a drum and her hands was sweaty and cold.

"Watari?" she asked getting more frightened by the second, making her drop the chocolate on the floor.

"I'm sorry but Watari isn't here at the moment" replied a slouched man, in an almost passive and bored voice, who was emerging from the darkness of the other room with an _éclair au choclat_ in hand.

Misa screamed, almost falling on her knees. She was trembling and her knees felt weak. The man just sighed and munched on his food. He made his way to the sofa, sat in his usual crouched position and looked at her, with his dark doe eyes as if to convince her that he wasn't going to eat her.

Misa stopped screaming when she finally got a better look of the man's face. To her surprise she recognized the man, who just scared the living hell out of her. The fear in her face turned into surprise. There was a curious look in her eyes as she took a minute to examine the pale, raven haired man in front of her.

"No Way!" She exclaimed "Monster!?"


	5. Monster

**V **

"Is that really you?" Misa asked with eyes wide with surprise. "I can't be wrong! It's you!" a big smile spread across her face.

"I…" started the detective but before he can even finish what he was to say Misa already hopped her way to him and gave him a tight hug.

"Oh! Monster! I never thought I'd see you again!" Misa said as she let go of the detective who was caught off guard. He didn't react. He wasn't used to such physical contact and he felt a bit annoyed but at the same time his heart skipped a beat. He diverted his attention to his laptop for a while and then looked back at her.

"Well, Ms. Amane, since you're here, how about I ask you about how you ended up in the middle of the road." L said in an almost monotone voice. He thought of how he didn't plan to show himself to her but it doesn't really matter, she doesn't have an idea of who he was and he isn't hiding anyway.

Misa puffed. _"That was cold of you! After all these years, not even a Hi! How are you? He's even acting like he doesn't know me. What a jerk or maybe he's not Monster, but that's impossible this guy is like his older version, his features, the way he sits and that demeanor"_ She glared at him.

"It's Misa! No need to be all formal. Stop acting like you don't remember me!"

"Alright then Misa tell me what happened to you, and if I remember you or not is irrelevant at the moment" the detective asked and as he glanced at her he saw the upset look in her face turn to horror as she looked down. For a minute neither of them spoke. The silence broke upon Watari's arrival.

He was surprised to see that the two finally meet each other but he felt tension in the room.

"I'm back. Ms. Amane, I've brought you something you can change into, and some other necessities you might need. I'd leave them in your room." after saying so Watari disappeared to another room, not waiting for a reply from the two.

" Can you now tell me what happened to you?" L said as he saw Misa look up after a while.

"What's it to you anyway?! My story is something for the authorities to hear." Misa said sounding annoyed. Now that she thinks about it, it barely crossed her mind to borrow a phone to report to the police and Watari didn't call the police either.

"Don't the ones who took you in reserve the right to at least have the slightest idea of what happened to you? For all we know you might be a criminal on the loose" The detective said as he placed his thumb between his lips, looking at her with suspecting eyes.

"WHAT!?" Misa exclaimed forgetting what she was just thinking off. "Did you just hear yourself? You haven't the slightest idea of the horror I have gone through!" Misa sounded really upset, what pissed her further was the lack of empathy in the guy's face despite seeing how distressed she was. Before Misa knew it she started talking about what happened to her to prove that she was no such thing as a criminal on the loose, how she got abducted, the basement, that freak and her escape. She was furious as she was telling her story rather than teary and scared. The detective listened as he dropped sugar cubes on his coffee.

"Satisfied!" Misa said panting and slumping down on the sofa.

"I thought you didn't want to tell me your story." The detective said as he stirred his coffee, took a sip and placed it down. Misa's jaw dropped realizing that she just gave him what he wanted. She somehow felt tricked. She just sat there looking at the detective, not knowing what to say next.

The cellphone on the table vibrated and L picked it up to answer it. She found it weird, the way he used his phone. It's as if the phone was dirty that he didn't want to have any contact with it.

"Yes? Is that so? That's good. I trust that you won't allow him to leave the city. Please do as I instructed you…. I've just confirmed that his last victim survived. You don't need to worry about her. I've made sure that she being taken care of and protected… No problem at all…. I've recorded her testimony already and I suggest we don't ask her to retell the horrific experience once more. She's obviously traumatized but she'll be fine….. I'd like to hear from you as soon as you made progress." The detective said in a mature and imposing voice which surprised Misa who was listening. After the call he placed the phone on the table and took a sip from his coffee.

A realization came to Misa's mind as she started to puzzle the pieces of conversation she just heard in her head. She looked at him wide eyed. "_So is he a police officer or something?"_

He looked back at her and said "The man who abducted you, the police are after him as of the moment. You don't need to worry about him anymore. I assure you he'd be punished for what he has done." L then collected the files and the pictures that are on top of the coffee table.

"Don't tell me those women on the pictures; they were his other victims…." Misa said with a shaky voice as her eyes travelled to the disturbing pictures on top of a pile of papers. The detective nodded to her in reply. She started to cry quietly, muffling the sound of her sobs with her hands.

_"That…. That could have been me… how could he have done that to them? That's just cruel, and sick, and wrong" _she thought as she wiped away the tears from her eyes.

"A small travelling bag with your name on it was found in the suspect's house. I'll ask Watari to pick it up tomorrow. For the mean time I suggest that you stay here until the suspect is caught."

"What?! Why?!" She exclaimed

"For safety reasons. He was after you when you escaped. He's wounded so I bet he's somewhere licking his wounds but he'll be back. He is obsessive by nature. He won't just let his victim roam free. He'd hunt you down and kill you." L explained with not a single trace of emotion in his face, making Misa shiver to the bones.

"You….you think so?" Misa mumbled. "But what makes you think that I'll be safe here? Are you a police officer?"

"No, I'm a detective" he replied as he took a sip from his cup.

"So what if you're a detective. That doesn't mean I can trust you! I'm not staying here." Misa said as she got up and started marching up the stairs.

"That was just my suggestion" L said calmly and then he diverted his attention on his work.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Misa woke up with a rumbling stomach. She looked out her window and it looks like it was already late at night. _"I shouldn't be craving for food at this time."_ she thought but decided to go out of her room anyway. She thought of the huge fridge downstairs and the food it must contain, she thought that they won't mind if she took even just one piece of bread and water.

_"I bet Watari is already asleep" _she thought as she tried to muffle her steps by walking a bit slowly. _"Monster probably is too…" _

The lights are out except for a couple on the wall. Once she reached the dining area, she slowly opened the fridge.

"For two men, this sure is a lot of sweet treats" She thought as her eyes marveled over pastries and sweets inside the fridge. "These are all sweet stuff… but I'm starving" she mumbled as she pondered over what to pick. She saw a pint of vanilla ice cream and settled on it. She also took a small plastic spoon which was for eating pudding.

With the ice cream in hand she closed doors of the fridge and was ready to go back to her room but when she turned around a crouched figure was sitting in the table behind her.

"Monster!" She said surprised and embarrassed. Surprised that she haven't even felt his presence and embarrassed that she was caught stealing from someone else's fridge. Her cheeks turned light pink.

"I'm sorry…. Well…. You see…. I'll return this.." She said as she motioned to return the pint inside the fridge but she was stopped.

"You can take that. You should eat something. Watari informed me that you barely eat anything today." L said as he took a bite from his chocolate bar.

"Really?! Thank you!" Misa beamed up. She even forgot that hours ago she hated the guy. She quickly took the seat across him in the table. She slowly opened the ice cream container and took a bite.

"Who would have thought that Monster would become a detective?" She said with a giggle and waited for a reply but there was none. "Hey! You can at least reply!" she puffed. "You don't have to deny that you're Monster either! Stop acting like you forgot me or something"

"I didn't deny it" He said in his usual tone, he kept himself busy with his chocolate. "I remember you but does it matter?"

Misa stopped and looked at him in the eye. "I waited for you back then you know. You promised that you'd see me before I go, but you didn't showed up"

"I was caught in a mess that day. I'm sorry that you waited"

"It doesn't matter, I guess. It was 10 years ago" Misa said with a smile. "So, tell me. What's your name? You promised that you'd tell me before I go. Well, we met again. You owe me that. Besides, I can't call you Monster anymore. I mean you're no longer that kid in the park." Misa continued with that jovial tone in her voice.

To her dismay the detective stood up and started walking away.

"Where are you going!? You haven't answered me yet?" Misa demanded.

"You can just continue calling me Monster. I won't mind, it actually has a good ring to it" he said and then he disappeared from the room.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Misa tossed and turned in her bed but sleep didn't come to her. _"I shouldn't have slept earlier. Now I'd be up till dawn" _She sat up and grunted. Resting her arms on her knees, she looked out her window. There was this memory in her head that is just itching to be remembered. _"Monster"_

_10 years ago in Winchester, England_

_"Ugh! It sure does rain a lot here! Misa hates rain!" a girl in a cute red dress and yellow raincoat grunted._

_"Oh Misa, you complain a lot for a little girl" her mother said holding her hand in hers. " We'll be home soon. We cross this park and two blocks down is our home. Dad is waiting with some hot coco, so cheer up"_

_"Really! With marshmallows?" Misa asked looking excited. Her mother nodded in reply. _

_As they were walking across the park, Misa noticed something from behind the trees that lined the back of the park benches ahead of them. As they were getting closer Misa swore that she saw someone behind the tree. Being the curious cat that she is, she removed her hand from her mom's and ran off to peek behind the tree. She saw that it was a boy, sitting in a crouch, his face hidden in his knees. The boy was soaking wet but he seemed to be asleep. _

_"Hey there" Misa said as she poke the boy in the shoulder. The boy instantly looked up at her. He was pale, his eyes were dark without emotions and his dark hair casted a shadow over his face. Misa screamed in fear and ran back to her mother who was walking towards her with her white umbrella._

_"Mom! There is something there!"she said pointing at the tree. Her mother looked at her with a curious look on her face._

_"What do you mean dear?" _

_"There was a boy, but he might be a ghost!" Her mother then took her hand and they walked towards the tree and her mother looked behind it. The boy was already gone. _

_"See dear? Nothing to be afraid of. Your imagination is just playing tricks on you. Besides what would a boy do there in this weather, he'd get sick." Her mom said with a smile as they started walking again._

_"But… but…. I saw someone there and it looked at me with his big, dark, eyes. He looked scary!" Misa insisted but her mother just laughed at her._

_Two days later, Misa can't still get the creepy boy she saw in the park. She looked out her window. It was a sunny day and she decided to go back there again and maybe she'd see him and prove that he does exist. She asked permission from her mom to go and play in the park. _

_"That's wonderful! Alright you take care and make sure to make tons of friends! But be back in a couple of hours alright?" Her mom said. Misa then marched off to the park. _

_She looked around for the boy but there were no signs of him, in the playground, the fountain and in the lawn. _

_"Maybe I was just imagining things" she told herself as she turned to start making her way home but a couple of kids walked up to her. "Hey! Would you like to play?" said the little girl, before she can reply the two girls already grabbed her by the hand to the play house. The girls were just around her age and she was introduced to other kids who play there. She looked at each of them, thinking that the boy she saw might be one of them, but he wasn't. Most of the kids there were from north of the park, her neighborhood, but she never met them before. _

_Her family is in England for almost a year but she hasn't made that many friends other than the ones from school. She still misses home. _

_After an hour of running around, climbing things and just laughing, Misa and her new found friends just sat on the grass and started telling stories to each other. She then thought that maybe the kids knew the boy whom she saw that rainy day. _

_"I have a question" She announced calling the attention of the other kids. " I was wondering if you know a boy. I saw him in the park the other day, poked him even. He was sitting or rather sleeping behind one of the trees. He has black hair, big, dark creepy eyes, he's pale…" Misa stopped as she saw the mixed expression on the other children's faces. _

_"No way! Don't tell me…" started one of the boys._

_"You went near Monster!" screamed a girl._

_"You'd have a really bad luck" stated another. _

_"Monster made the biggest meanest bully in the park pee his pants, we're thankful for that but when we tried to approach him he just glared at us and walked away. Just moments after that Jeff and Kim here skinned their knees." _

_"Yeah, that's true! Every time someone sees him, something bad always happens." _

_"Huh? But that's impossible" Misa said confused._

_"We should stay away from Misa. She didn't only saw him but she touched him!" _

_"Yeah! The bad luck might even have rubbed off on us already!" Cried another boy._

_"But…but… wait I just poked him. That's barely touch" Misa defended and then she watched as the other kids ran away from her as if she was sick. _

_"I'm sorry Misa. They'd forget about it somehow. Well let's all play again together next time" said the girl who invited her to play with them._

_Misa didn't know what to say and just smiled. Once alone she stood up, sighed and started to make her way home. She was passing the same lane of benches she and her mother passed the other day when her eyes traveled to the trees and then she caught sight of the boy sitting behind the tree. Misa approached the boy slowly. _

_"Uhhm… hey there!" Misa said with a smile on her face to hide the fear she was feeling. All those things that the other kids told her must've got to her. The boy looked up, his face devoid of any emotions. _

_"What are you doing there?" She asked as she walked and stood in front of the boy. The boy just observed her._

_"Hey! It's rude to not answer when someone's talking to you!" Misa puffed. _

_"Nothing" came the reply. His eyes were fixed on her as if studying her. _

_"What nothing?! Someone won't just be there and do nothing." She demanded._

_"Well, whatever I do is none of your business." The boy said, stood up and started walking towards the denser part of the park._

_"Hey! Where are you going!?" _

_"Home" came the reply. He didn't even look back at her._

_"But there are just trees in there! You'd get lost!" She said but no answer came. The boy just walked in between the trees and before she knew it the boy was gone. "So that was Monster" she told herself._

_The night after she met Monster, she found it hard to sleep. She wondered about the enigmatic boy who was just around her age or possibly a couple of years older. That night she decided to go look for him again but the next day he wasn't there. She then decided to go visit the park every day until finally after a week she saw him again in the same place but this time he was reading something. _

_"Hello there!" She said as she walked to him. "What are you doing?"_

_"Isn't it obvious" came the stoic reply. Misa pouted and then sighed. She walked closer to him and as she did he closed his book and stood up, he was leaving._

_"Let's start over again." She said blocking his path. "Hi! I'm Misa Amane but just call me Misa!" She said with a big smile. There was no reply but he looked at her. She felt shivers down her spine. She remembered what the other kids told her. She looked back at him and saw her reflection in his cold dark eyes. _

_"What do you want Misa?" asked the raven haired boy. _

_"Nothing! It's just that you didn't even seem to bother talking to me last time and when I saw you that day, I screamed. I really thought that you're…. you're…. well a monster or something. So I wanted to say sorry because I think that was rude of me." She said with a smile._

_"Well maybe I am a monster." He said and he started to walk away._

_"You're really rude you know that! Didn't your mom told you not to turn your back when someone is talking to you" Misa said getting irritated. _

_"I don't have a mom." He said in almost a monotone. She was surprised and felt like she just stepped on a land mine._

_"I…I'm sorry…" she choked out with a slight bow._

_"It's alright" he replied and started to walk away but he was stopped by Misa who held on to his sweater._

_"The other kids. They call you Monster and they're scared of you but I'm not. I think that you're just lonely and you just need a friend." Misa said with another big smile. He turned around and looked at her._

_"I'm not lonely and I don't need a friend. I don't have time for one. So if you'll excuse me." He said removing her hands from him and then he quickly walked away._

_Misa got really down after that but she thought that she wouldn't give up. She doesn't know why but she felt like she was drawn to the boy. For the next couple of weeks she would spend time in the park after school, just waiting to see him again, until finally she saw him. This time though she wasn't the one approaching him. _

_She was sitting on a park bench with her back pack in hand, looking around for any signs of him. She looked down on the ground, kicked a stone and sighed. When she looked up, she was surprised that Monster was sitting right next to her, in a crouch, rubbing his feet over the other._

_"Still looking for me?" he said in his usual voice_

_"Huh? Monster!" Misa exclaimed. He looked at her in the eyes. "Well, you see…. Uhhmmm… Does it matter why I'm looking for you! Besides don't feel so special just because I'm looking for you! I'm just curious that's all." Misa pouted. _

_"You're a weird one" mumbled the boy "There is nothing to be curious about. It would be better if you forget you ever saw me." _

_"Why is that?"_

_"I'm a monster. Didn't the others told you" _

_"Yeah they did but so what? Asking someone to forget is impossible you know." Misa then opened her backpack and pulled out a couple of lollipops. "Here" she offered. He took one immediately._

_"So you like lollipops" Misa said as she giggled, putting the lollipop in her mouth._

_"Not in particular." Came the reply. "Caramel…this is good" he mumbled_

_"Why are you always here alone?" Misa asked. He looked at her and didn't say anything for a minute. Just when Misa was about to shout at him for not answering he spoke._

_"I have to run away from dragons" he said with a serious look on his face. Misa can't believe what he just said, she started laughing._

_"What? Are you serious or you're crazy?" Misa said trying to stop laughing._

_"Both" _

_"So Monster, where are your dragons now"_

_"Just lurking out there somewhere" he replied removing the lollipop from his mouth. "How about you Misa? Do you have any dragons chasing after you?" _

_"No, but don't worry if I have one I'd call you. They'd be scared of Monster." Misa said giggling._

_"Monster." He mumbled. _

_"You don't like it…Then tell me your name. I told you mine" _

_"I don't know"_

_"What?"_

_"I don't know. Monster would do" _

_"Don't tell me you don't know your name" _

_"Does it matter? Monster actually sound nice" _

_"Ok then…. Whatever you say." Misa said as she got off the bench. "I should get going. My mom would be worried if I'm late"_

_"Ok."_

_"When someone is leaving you don't say OK. You say bye!" Misa corrected_

_"I only say goodbye to people I would no longer see" he replied as he got off the bench. "You'd be back" he added as he turned the other way and started walking. Misa watched him walk away and then she smiled and walked home._

_This time every time Misa went to the park, Monster was always there. For the next couple of months they'd spend time almost every day. Misa would tell him about things he wasn't aware of, like T.V. shows, her favorite cartoon characters and games played by kids their age. He would always look disinterested with what she'd tell him but she'd be surprise that he'd remember what she told him just well. She told him about the country where she was born and how she missed home. She'd tell him about how hard school can be and a couple of times she showed him her math assignment and he solved it in a blink of an eye. In their conversations, Misa would do the talking and he'll listen. He'd talk about random complicated things at times, making her understand that Monster is actually smarter than kids his age and that maybe he's reserved because other kids can't understand him. She asked him questions about himself but he barely answers them. Despite Misa ending up getting irritated with him every now and then, she can say that they did become friends._

_Today, Misa was in a hurry to see Monster. It has only been almost 3 months since they've met but she can't get her head off the idea that she'd have to say good bye to him soon. When she reached the place where they would always sit together and talk, he wasn't there. Misa sat there and waited. After 30 minutes she stood up and decided to look for him. She was sure that he'd show up that day. _

_She checked the tree where she first saw him and he wasn't there. Misa was about to leave to look somewhere else but caught sight of Monster, sitting under another tree several feet from where she was. She run to him and when she reached him she was surprised to see that he has blood on him and his cheek was bruised. _

_"What happened to you?" She said kneeling beside him not knowing what to do. He opened his eyes to look at her. _

_"You're a little late today." He said as if nothing was wrong with him._

_"Sorry…. But what happened to you?" she inquired then pulled out her handkerchief and placed it in his bleeding lip, making him cringe. "Sorry" she mumbled. He then took the hankie from her and slowly stood up. He started walking and she just followed. He stopped at a bench and sat down. Misa sat next to him. _

_"Would you tell me what happened to you now?" she inquired. _

_"I fell." He replied. She then placed a hand on his head. He almost moved away but she patted his head._

_"I always feel better when my parents pat me on the head." She said smiling at him. She then stood up. He looked at her. "I'd be back" she said and then she ran off happily._

_She returned with two ice cream cones in hand, bubblegum and strawberry. _

_"Here" she said as she handed him the strawberry cone. He took it and licked it. "I thought that would help stop the bleeding in your lip" _

_"Thanks" he mumbled. Misa almost jumped in surprise. That was the first time he ever said that word. Misa laughed and he looked at her, curiously. _

_"It's nothing. It's just that….." she didn't finish what she was going to say when she remembered why she was in a hurry to see him. _

_"Hey, Monster" Misa started. _

_"Hmmm?" he replied, still busy eating._

_"I'm leaving in 4days. My dad finished his work here so we'd be moving back home. I guess it would be good bye then" He didn't say anything and just stopped whatever he was doing. After a minute of silence, he started eating his now melting ice cream._

_"HEY!" Misa exclaimed. "Won't you say anything?!" _

_"I've got nothing to say."_

_"What?! You mean you don't care if I'd go. Not even a take care and Good bye!?" there was no reply. "After all this time I thought you're my friend!" Misa said upset and angry._

_"You said you miss home badly. If you go back then you'd be happy" he said looking at her. The stern look on Misa's face was wiped off. "I know you'd be doing just fine. I also don't have to say good bye." He said and then finished his ice cream._

_Misa remembered what he said about saying good bye and she understood him. She smiled at him and started crying. He just watched her and to his surprise she hugged him. He thought of removing her arms around her but felt like that would make her more upset so she left her that way for a couple of minutes till she stopped weeping. _

_"I'm sorry." She mumbled. "Monster…. I'll never forget you." She said as she looked up at him. His pale face changed into a light shade of pink. He looked away hiding his blush. She just giggled._

_"Hey Monster!" Misa called and she decided to place a kiss on his cheek. She didn't expected though that he'd look her way. Their lips met. Both were wide eyed and didn't move a muscle for a while. Misa then realized that she just kissed a boy. She pushed him away and looked at the ground. _

_"I… I'm sorry!" she said as she placed a finger over her lips. She blushed at the thought that it was her first kiss. Monster didn't say a thing. He was also didn't saw that coming. In embarrassment, Misa stood up bowed a bit to say good bye and then started walking away. _

_"Misa." He called. She stopped and turned. "Your handkerchief" he said extending his arm._

_"I…. keep it" she managed to say._

_" I won't be here tomorrow or the next day but I'll be here the day before you leave." He said watching her. _

_"Monster…. It's a deal then I'll meet you here. Same time as usual, ok?" she said and he nodded. She was about to start walking off when she stopped to look back again. _

_"Monster."_

_"hmmm?"_

_"Can you at least tell me your name…. before I go" she said with a big smile. "You'd always be Monster to me but I at least want to know the name of my friend" _

_"Ok. I'll tell you before you go" he replied with a small smile. _

_That smile really fitted his face, Misa thought and she hoped that he can smile more often. That afternoon was by far the best she had with him but that was also the last time she saw him. That promised day came and Misa waited till dark. She cried when her mother dragged her home. A couple of hours before leaving their home in England she ran to the park, hoping she'll see him once more but he wasn't there. She left England upset and worried. She didn't even get the chance to know his name, but she knew that she'd never forget that boy in the park called Monster._

* * *

**Note:**_ Just random but it has been 5 years or so since I first saw Death Note and got to watch it again last year. So yeah... Anyway feel free to leave a review or message me :)) _

_*Also I saw a post somewhere (YouTube Comment I guess) about Jeff the killer, says that he sort of look like L hahaha... Imagine L creeping in your bed asking you to go to sleep so that he can kill you hahaha_

_*What do you think are those dragons he's running away from...we'll see... ;)_


	6. Affinity

**VI **

_"Breakfast huh? Inviting me to breakfast wouldn't make me look over him walking out on me last night" _Misa thought as she walked out the kitchen door. Beyond the door was a veranda overlooking a green trimmed lawn and a willow tree. Sitting ,in his usual posture, in the round table, topped with a couple of plates with pancakes, two choices of syrup, a jar of sugar cubes, a tea and coffee cup, was the raven haired detective.

"Good morning" he said in his usual tone. Misa didn't reply. She sat across him with arms crossed. L sighed, detecting that she was in a foul mood, and started dropping sugar cubes in his coffee.

Misa was hungry but held herself back. She was determined to make him feel her annoyance by glaring at him but the angry look she threw at him didn't last. Slowly she turned soft. Under the warm early morning sun she examined his every aspect.

_"So pale…. I can see the lines of his veins under his soft, velvety skin. His dark unruly hair still casts a shadow over his face. I wonder how it would feel under my touch is it still soft like before? He still has those doe like shadowy eyes but with the dark circles under them now. I wonder if he got that from lack of sleep. Hhhmmm…. Well he's beautiful, I guess…. but strange as always…also is it just me or the shirt he's wearing….it's the same as mine, then this must be his" _Misa thought and then she caught herself blushing. She instantly looked away.

L started pouring chocolate syrup over his pancakes and ate. "They'd get cold if you don't start eating soon."

In reply Misa just huffed and rolled her eyes, but as if on cue her stomach growled. _"Awkward"_ she thought then she grabbed a fork and took a bite. For a moment she saw him smile.

"What's so funny?!" She exclaimed. There was no reply. "So isn't Watari eating with us?"

"He ate already and he's out. He picked up your luggage in the station." L said as he stopped eating.

"Is that so" she replied taking a sip from the tea cup. "You didn't have to ask him to do it. I could have gone there myself"

"So have you decided whether to go or stay for a while?"

"Actually, I thought about it last night and I've got to admit I'm still pretty shaken up with what happened and you said that he'd come after me and I don't want that so… as much as I'd like to go, I guess I'd take your offer" She said as she placed her fork down her plate. There was silence for a couple of minutes before either spoke.

"Thank you" She mumbled. "I really thought I'd die back there you know." she said with a small smile. L didn't replied and just watched her, like he always does.

Misa beamed up and turned from sulky to bubbly. "I'm really glad that you became someone who fights for justice. I'm sure those girls, the other victims, they would be very thankful to you"

"You think so?" he asked. She nodded in reply.

"So tell me, how long have you been doing detective work? I mean you're probably just a couple of years older than me, so it can't be that long right?" she inquired.

"It's been a while" Upon hearing his response Misa's heart fluttered. _"Finally he's talking"_ she thought.

"You must've started young then. So, Watari, is he an assitant? He sure seem to be taking care of things"

"Watari is a trusted friend. He's family."

"Oh… I see. So do you live here?"

"No"

"But this place is yours right?" He just nodded in reply.

"Wow! That's great! Accomplished at such a young age, I'm so proud of you!" She beamed.

"You are doing just fine yourself. You're a model."

"Well someone did their assignment. I haven't done anything huge yet though. When I get back to Japan I'd finish high school and then I'd try my luck there" she said with a dreamy smile.

"I see." He replied finishing the food on his plate.

"I actually plan to go home next week. You see, when I was abducted I was on my way to start my self-guided tour. I guess you really don't know what would happen next" she said with a small laugh.

"You can still make it home in time. I'm sure the culprit's going to be caught soon"

"I guess" she mumbled, trying to not remember the guys face. L stood up taking his plate and cup with him.

"Hey! You could at least wait for me to finish!" Misa demanded.

"I still have to do something" he replied and he went in. Misa sighed and started munching on her food. She leaned back the chair and took in the serene surroundings.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Misa just stepped out of shower and is hovering over her luggage which was brought to her room by Watari. _"At least I have a choice of clothes now, those clothes I was wearing were starting to stink" _she thought.

After dolling up herself like she normally does, she laid back down her bed and thought of how would she pass the day. She thought that she can't stay in the room the whole day and the midday sun was directed at her window making the room hot enough to make her start sweating like a pig.

Silence welcomed her in the hallway. She peeked downstairs and saw that Monster and Watari seems to be discussing something serious. She took a couple of steps back up, to hide herself, crouched and listened.

"Det. Aiber really did a good job on catching the guy. So, the one we're after here is his brother, just as I thought." Said the raven haired detective with a lollipop in his mouth. Watari nodded.

"We'd catch our guy soon and this case would be closed."

"I would like to inform you that we've received another request. This request is directed to you L" Watari started.

"Hmmm… So what's this one about?" came the reply.

_"Don't tell me his name is L? It must still be an alias. I mean, who has a single letter for a name?" _Misa thought blocking out the conversation she was just listening to, then she heard Watari call him L again.

"L, listen. The secretary of defense contacted us himself, so it would be better if we can give him an immediate reply." Watari explained.

"I understand how delicate and important the problem is and I'm a bit interested, though I believe it's something they can handle themselves. Please tell him that for the mean time allow me to look further into it." L replied as he started to hastily type on his laptop.

_"L….so that's his name or at least alias. I'm confused but Watari calls him that and he's family so I guess that's a clue to his real name. Also the secretary of defense asked for his help. He must be a big shot detective then but at a young age?" _Misa thought as she crawled back up to the second floor.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Misa's thoughts revolved on the enigmatic detective she used to know as Monster.  
"L… it sounds as strange and puzzling as him, but it does seem to fit him" she told herself as she tried to fall to sleep. Just when her eyes were about to close she remembered her granny.

"Shit! I haven't called her in like 4 days. She must be worried sick about me!" she said jumping out of bed.

_"Oh jeez… my phone wasn't found so I guess I have to go borrow their phone…It's only somewhere around 9 or 10 pm…granny sure is up watching her favorite sitcom" _Misa thought as she rushed out of her room and then she stopped in the hallway after hearing footsteps from the room adjacent to hers. It was L's room and though he seems to confine himself inside it at times, Misa have seen and heard him enter the room a couple of times so she was sure enough it was his room.

_"L sure has a phone….Jeez… I've been thinking about his name too much I've started referring to him as L already"_ she said as she walked and opened the door.

"Hey!..." She announced but stops in panic and froze as she opened the door and took a couple of steps in. She really had a bad habit of just barging into someone else's room without knocking but she does announce herself loudly every time but this time with the view she just froze.

In front of her, L stood in all his naked glory with a towel in his head. Misa just stood there with her mouth gaped and eyes wide in shock. On the other hand, L just stood there as if nothing was wrong.

"Ah… I…. I….." Misa tried to speak, her eyes still fixed on him, but couldn't do so.

"Can I help you with anything?" L said with not a single hint of embarrassment.

"It would help if you can at least cover up a bit!" Misa exclaimed, her face red, as she finally found it in her to turn around and quickly return to her room. She closed the door immediately and just threw herself in her bed, hiding her face in her pillow.

_"I saw him naked!" _she thought as she screamed in her pillow muffling her voice. _"This is the first time I saw a guy naked. I mean I saw male models in their undies in shoots but he was stark naked!" _

She finally stopped screaming in her pillow after a while and started to calm herself. She was still blushing but she wasn't sure if it's from shame or because she liked what she saw. She lightly slapped herself and sighed. _"I'm starting to feel weird… being a teen sure is hard, with all the raging hormones and…" _ her thoughts were interrupted when the door opened. She sat up and to her surprise it was L, this time dressed in his usual white long sleeved shirt and blue pants.

"Don't you know how to knock!? Don't just march in here!" she exclaimed as she instantly sat up.

"You didn't do so either. An eye for an eye." He said as he just casually walked towards her. Misa can just imagine him walking naked towards her but she pushed the thought away.

He was just a couple of steps from her when she held out both her arms to stop him. Her palms landed lightly on his stomach, stopping him on his tracks. She looked down to hide her blush.

"Stop right there!" she exclaimed. "What do you want?!"

" I just thought you needed something urgently that you even needed to barge into my room like that, so I came here to inquire what is it" he said in his usual tone.

"I just needed to borrow a phone, to call my granny. I live with her here and I haven't called for days so she might be worried sick about me. But that can wait till tomorrow" she said with a small laugh. "Good night now!" she added determined to get rid of him because her heart was beating like a drum.

"Here" he said as he pulled out a phone from his pocket, dropping it at Misa's lap. Misa just looked up at him and held the phone in her hands.

"You don't have to be so embarrassed about it. Don't worry I don't mind." He said seeing how she was still blushing.

"I KNOW!" she exclaimed at him ashamed that he noticed her blushing. "I'm not embarrassed! Besides you shouldn't go around walking naked like that!"

"I believe walking naked, alone, in my room isn't wrong. In fact it's just natural. I believe that you too do the same" he said as if it was something trivial, at least to him.

He turned to go but stopped on his tracks when Misa threw a pillow at him. "PERVERT!" she called him.

He just looked at her with his dark eyes. She felt a shiver ran down her spine when their gaze met and she was starting to feel uneasy again. Good thing he just turned around and went out her room without doing anything further. Misa fell back on her bed and felt like she almost didn't had enough energy to make the call.


	7. Awkward

**VII **

_"That was a seriously weird dream"_ she thought as she got out of bed with a red face. _"I mean seriously. I can't be this attracted to him already"_ She walked to her window, opened it and felt the early morning breeze in her face, allowing her to erase that inappropriate dream from her head.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

L was surprised with how quiet Misa is as they ate. He preferred the silence but it was new to him. He had an idea as to why she is acting like that though.

"Were you able to call your grandmother?" he said but her head seemed to be up in the clouds. He didn't repeat his question and continued eating. Breakfast ended quietly and without any eye contact.

It was the same with lunch and after that she just went back to her room quietly. L just didn't mind her and continued his digging up on the new case he just took.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

There was a soft knock on her door and Watari entered and placed down a tray with dinner on it. Watari told her that they thought she was asleep and didn't bothered to call her down for dinner and so he took the liberty of bringing it up to her. Misa thanked him and said sorry for all the bother she's caused Watari. He just bowed and smiled in reply then left.

"This is so unlike me. I don't shy away like this from guys. Urgh!" she said as she paced back and forth in her room. "I'm being too obvious! He probably thinks I have the hots for him now!"

After 5 more minutes of pacing back and forth in her room, she finally settled down and ate. Dinner was great and the tea that Watari makes is just the best. She then thought off going down to place her dish in the sink, since she can't let the old man do the cleaning for her. She quietly made her way to the kitchen and washed the things she used.

Walking dreamily on her way back to her room, she bumped into L in the dimly lit hallway. Her head was on his chest, so as her hands and with her body this close to him she felt like she was going to faint.

"Oops…sorry" she managed to say awkwardly as she removed her hands of his chest and clumsily took a step back quickly, making her lose her balance. The only sound she managed to make was a gasp. Luckily he moved quicker than he looks and he was able to catch her by her hand, pulling her quickly to him.

"You should watch your step." He said as he gently let go of her and started to walk away. When he was no longer in view, Misa dropped on her knees and sighed. _"Misa!"_ she scolded herself as she slowly got up and entered her room.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

The next day she returned to her chatty self and was bouncing around the house. Today she thought of covering up that weird feeling she was getting with her bubbly self. She told him things about her home and how her granny actually forgot about her being on the country still in breakfast, talked about random things she liked at lunch and the random people and places she's been to at dinner.

L just listened to her blabbering, irritating him at some point. _"Yesterday she's suspiciously quiet and now she's all chatty. I don't get it."_

She didn't mind him not answering or commenting on her stories but at least for her that kills the awkwardness she felt around him.

After dinner, she was about to go back to her room when she spotted L going out the kitchen door to the back yard. She told herself not to bother him, but she ended up doing so anyway.

"Hey! What are you doing?" She said patting L lightly in the shoulder. _"He's always slouched like that, it won't be good for him"_ she thought as she stood next to him near the willow tree.

"L! You're not answering again!" she demanded with a pout. She waited for a reaction or reply but nothing came. "Why are you out here anyway? Looking for falling stars?"

"If stars starts falling from the sky we'd all be dead" he replied.

"Huh? Why is that?" she asked. He didn't say anything. After a while she realized what he meant. "Oh I get it now Mr. Smart pants! Ok, you can laugh at me now! I knew that those falling things aren't stars, FYI!" she exclaimed.

"Misa, you've been calling me L since you started telling me stories this morning." he said glancing at her. Misa froze. With his almost emotionless tone and face she can barely figure out if he was angry or cool with it.

"Oh…. Well… I heard Watari calling you by it so…I guess it stuck on my head" Misa said with a giggle.

"So you were thinking that much about me" he said ever so casually. Misa turned bright pink.

"Of course not! Who do you think you are for me to spend time thinking about you!?" Misa defended. Not another word came from him and then he started making his way to the house.

"You're so good at walking away!" Misa said getting pissed off with his habit of just leaving. She caught up to him and tugged his shirt.

For a moment L remembered the time when she first went after him, 10 years ago. He turned to look at her. At his gaze she froze.

"I guess I owe you nothing now that you know my name" he said. She just looked at him. She was starting to get lost in those dark eyes of his. _"He looks wonderful under the night light" _she thought feeling her cheeks get warm, she must be blushing madly. She was having the urge to touch his lips. She remembered that he was actually her first kiss and after the image of that passed through her mind she let go off him and run inside the house.

He watched her go and then he slowly placed a finger over his lips, tracing them. He too remembered that kiss. They were young then but that was also his first kiss.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

She was trying to get a rest but her mind won't let her. She was having crazy thoughts, a good kind of crazy nonetheless. Thinking of him made her forget of the bad experience she had with that maniac. It was like therapy for her.

She thought of his lips. She kept on wondering how they'd feel and taste. Taste, his lips would probably be sweet with all those sweet stuff he's always munching on. She giggled with the thought of it.

She knew how a kiss would feel like, of course, she has kissed a couple of boys already but she wonders how he'd do it. Would he be gentle? Teasing? Wet? Or maybe he is a rough but passionate kisser. She bit her lower lip at the thought of kissing him.

Her mind then traveled to his lean body. She really preferred men with abs but his slender frame is not that bad, it's like with those sexy rock stars girls drop their panties to. She then imagined snuggling with him in his bed, wrapped around his arms. She thought of how nice it would be to rest her head on his chest and hear the beating of his heart.

The thought of him was making her ecstatic and somehow it has excited her already raging hormones. She can't deny her attraction to him anymore but she doesn't have the slightest clue if he's feeling anything for her. Probably not, but she doesn't care. Most boys around her have a crush on her or would easily fall for her anyway. She knew that she was pretty and has a nice body. She's also fun to be with so she can't think of a reason why he won't like her. _"I do talk a lot and he seems to be the silent type" _she thought with a sigh but then she told herself that opposites attract anyway.

She closed her eyes and muttered his name under her breath. It was like candy on her mouth. That dream she had the other night flashed in her head. He was kissing her lips, then he would plant kisses on her neck, lightly biting and sucking on its base leaving a mark. He would then touch her in places, making her moan his name and catch her breath and then right before she wakes up, she would see them naked together.

She blushed at the thought of the dream and felt her lower regions getting wet. She was getting really aroused at the thought of him. As much as it disgusted her, she actually did try touching herself before. Her friends did it and they said it was natural, so she tried to do so. She was getting the urge to do so now. She gently rubbed her legs against each other, sending an electric sensation to her womanhood. After a while of doing so, she realized that it won't satisfy her and so she slowly lifted her skirt, running her fingers along her leg, making her shiver.

Closing her eyes she slowly ran her fingers in her thighs and slowly parted her legs. She inserted her hand in her underwear, feeling how wet she was down there. She then pulled her undies off and threw it on the floor on the other side of the bed. For a moment she thought that she isn't going through with it but the need was strong and she has to do something about it. _"I sure am pretty horny for someone who haven't actually done the deed yet.."_ she thought as she rubbed her finger over her folds.

Her other hand reached for her left breast and started lightly squeezing it and then did the same with the other. She felt her nipples hardened under her touch. Her other hand was now busy with teasing her button down there. That was a weak spot for her, she always climax with just rubbing her clits, and it always felt so good. She started giving out weak and muffled moans. Her fingers are drenched with her juices. She kept on rubbing on her spot and let her other fingers slide down her folds. Her hand which fondled her breast, now grabs on to the sheet as she felt climax coming closer. Just when she thought she would, she hear someone stop in her door, hold the door knob and opened it.

Her room was dark except for the two lights on the wall making it easier to hide her current disheveled state. Luckily enough before the door opened completely she quickly stopped what she was doing, sat up and wiped her wet fingers on the sheet. She tried acting like she was just sitting there, in deep thought.

The subject of her fantasy just walked in her room, like he did before.

"What do you want?" she managed to choke out. She actually feels mortified having to see him after touching herself while thinking about him. _"This is so awkward! I hope he doesn't come closer." _She thought but it was as if he knew what she was thinking and was acting against it.

_"Shit my undies! It's on the floor, on the other side of the bed. If he comes closer he might see!" _she panicked in her head but tried her best to play it cool.

He stopped a couple of steps in front of her. _"Hhhmmm…. She's nervous, what's wrong? Looks like she's hiding something"_ he thought

"I guess you must have forgotten to return my phone" he said extending a hand with an open palm to her.

Her wild side just placed a picture of her taking his hand to her lips, start kissing it and licks it. She pushed the thought away by giggling unnaturally. She also mentally scolded herself.

"Oh! The phone….Well… yeah the phone" she absent mindedly mumbled.

"Misa, is something wrong?" he inquired with a curious look in his eyes.

"No! Nothing at all….Now let's see…. Where did I place that phone?" she said looking around her bed, where some of her clothes from her luggage was scattered. Scolding herself for not fixing it earlier.

To her surprise L went closer to the bed and started picking up some clothes, checking under them.

"Hey! No touchy! I'll find it, don't worry. It's just here somewhere…" she said and before she can say anything further, he has already rested his knee on the bed and started moving her clothes here and there.

"Hey stop!" she exclaimed.

"I'm just trying to help you find it under all your clothes." He said in his usual tone.

_"L! You're not helping!"_ she thought as she started to feel that uneasy feeling crawl back to her system. _"You're on my bed and just inches away from me and might see my undies on the other side…." _

He was about to look into the other side of the bed but before he does Misa pulled him to her. Her intention was to keep him from seeing her underwear which was covered with her juices but instead she caused him to lean to her. Their faces were just a couple of inches away from each other and his hand rested on her soft mounds.

Misa swallowed hard as she looked at him. His lips, which were gaped a bit, looked so inviting. She realized that she can no longer hold back and she kissed him. He didn't respond at first and she can feel his surprise with his tense arms and his closed lips but to her surprise after a while he responded to her kiss and slipped a tongue in her mouth.

With all the mixed emotions she was feeling at the moment, she felt her mind go blank and just savored every second of the kiss.


	8. Rift

**VIII **

He didn't expect to be confronted with such emotions when he stepped in her room. The moment she pulled him to her, he felt a kind of feeling that is foreign to him. He only came for the phone but now his lips were locked with her.

At first he didn't responded, unsure if it was doubt or the lurking feelings that just suddenly surfaced. Her lips though were soft, tempting and tasted like cherries. Finally when he took the bait, he was washed by a huge wave of emotion. His carnal desires suddenly awaken and he can't seem to think straight.

Parting her lips with his tongue and then exploring her, it gave him a gratifying feeling. Slowly he pushed her down the bed. Her hands still holding on to his arms, started to slowly wrap themselves around his neck pulling him closer to her. He removed his hands from her mounds and supported himself, so that she won't be completely pinned down by his weight.

The small, weak moans she gives out were music to his ears. He was getting aroused with every passing second. He removed his lips from hers and trailed kisses to her neck. He can feel her fingers tangled in his hair.

_"Stop now, while you still can." _He thought as his lips slowly travelled down her chest. Finally, clenching his fist and giving out a sigh, he found it in him to stop. He lifted his head from her and just watched her. Her chest was rising and falling from her breathing, her golden hair a beautiful mess, her eyes looked back at him as if asking him for more, her lips partly opened, inviting him to take them in his once more. As much as he wanted to just continue with what they started he knew that he shouldn't.

"Is…..something wrong?" came the soft, confused question from her lips. Upon hearing this he got off her, sat at the edge of her bed and thought of what to tell her.

"I'm sorry. This shouldn't have happen. I wasn't thinking straight." He managed to say. He didn't even want to look back at her. Knowing Misa she probably is steaming with anger. He was about to stand up when she pulled him back down by his arm.

He turned to look at her. She was sitting there, looking straight at him. Before he knew it she held his face with both her hands and kissed him. On impulse he returned the kiss but it didn't last long, she broke it off. He then felt her palm slamming into his cheek making his head turn a bit, this was the first time someone have ever slapped him.

"YOU JERK! Saying sorry for things you actually like and consent to!" she said looking at him with an angry face.

"I was…." He started in reply but was interrupted.

"If you didn't wanted to kiss me, why not push me away on the first place or simply say no to me. Now I feel bad about it too." She exclaimed. "Responding to my kiss the way you did didn't send me the memo that you didn't wanted it you know!?"

He didn't felt like saying anything more to her. So he got up and started walking out the door. Before closing the door behind him, he looked back at her. She was just sitting on her bed, watching him go with that angry look in her eyes.

"For what it's worth, it felt nice though" he said, not thinking if it would fuel her anger or appease her.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

It was 2:30 in the morning.

L was casually dropping sugar cubes in his cup of coffee, while he was in deep thought about the new case he had at hand.

_"12 years ago the government closely watched an underground organization with terrorist ties. Due to a confrontation in their territory down south and pressing security threats, the government decided to turn the town into a no man's land. After that they shoved off the incident into piles of other cases and moved on. The report stated that they found a total of 43 bodies in the supposedly abandoned town. 18 of those bodies were kids ages 7-12. The rest were believed to be the ones responsible for the children." _He thought as he stirred his coffee took a sip and directed his attention to the slice of Oreo cheesecake in front of him.

_"At first everyone thought that the children in that town were used for organ trade, but they were only partly right. Inside the town were training facilities. Turns out the ones they found to be of no use had their organs harvested but the others who have shown skills and talents were kept and trained. The abducted children were trained harshly for 5 years and those who pass are sent out to the world to do the organizations bidding. 3 years after the case was closed and everyone thought that they have ended whatever plot the organization had, a man by the name of Jorgen Grove came to the guy who headed operation on that town, who happen to be the current secretary of defense, Clint Moore." _L stopped eating and poked what's left of the cheesecake here and there.

_"Grove came to him as a father and declared to have cut ties with the organization. He though used to be directly under the command of their leader and led a group of men of his own. Moore didn't trust him due to his background but listened to what he had to say anyway. Grove was asking for help, he said that his kids are forcedly taken into a training program by the organization. He tried to stop them and hide his kids but it cost him his wife. He told Moore everything he knew about the program. A week after Grove came to Moore with information he died from "overdose". The town that Moore thrashed was just the tip of the iceberg of their operation. Moore sent a man to check on what Grove told him, but the finding came back negative and so he looked over it." _

_"After years of their believed hiatus, the organization is back, with the children they trained in their arsenal. Stryke, that's what they called their group now. They were able to crack through firewalls and took top secret files to threaten Moore in attempts to make him do as they say but Moore said not to worry about those files anymore. They sent Moore a file with a countdown that would end in five days and a letter ranting about the filth that humans bring to the earth. At the end of the letter they asked if it is possible for humans to eradicate evil without being one themselves and said that maybe turning into one is necessary and would cleanse the world of its sins. A very interesting idea, indeed." _He then finished his cheesecake and typed rapidly in the keyboard.

_"Moore isn't telling me something. What would happen when the timer reaches 0? I'm also certain they want something from Moore." _He thought as he scribbled something on a paper.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

It was Watari. "It's the head of the man hunt operation. He said that they've caught the suspect already. He also said that he just sent you a report of the operation and he asked if it's possible for, Ms. Amane to go to the station for confirmation of the suspect's identity. He promised not to ask her anything that might make her uncomfortable."

"Thank you Watari. I shall tell her about it" He said as he turned his attention to the screen in front of him and got himself busy once more. Watari left without saying another word.

Minutes later he stopped what he was doing. "So she's going home…" he mumbled to himself and then returned to work.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

He was standing right outside her door when the door opened. She was stunned to see him there. He didn't plan on getting on her nerves because he wasn't in the mood for a lecturing from her, so he got straight to business.

"Misa, the suspect was already caught. Det. Snow request that you go down to the station and confirm that they caught the right man. He'd probably ask a couple of questions but he promised not to ask anything that would cause you any stress. Watari would go with you." L then saw a sparkle in her eyes. It looks to him though like she hasn't got a wink of sleep last night.

"That means I can go home!" she jumped in place and then jumped to him and hugged him. "Thank you!" she said, forgetting the thing that happened to them last night. Well, she was like that, her emotions swing from this point to the other and she bounces back pretty quickly.

L barely moved a muscle. He felt like the right response was to wrap his arms around her but he decided against it.

"Misa one more thing" he said and then she let go of him. When their eyes met, her cheeks turned bright pink and she looked down.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Don't tell them anything about the location of the house or me. They know that you've been under my care so they'd probably ask you about me."

"Why? You did something bad and now you're hiding?" Misa teased

"They won't be working with me if I did something against the law. Anyway just keep that in mind." He said and he turned to walk away.

He stopped after several steps and looked back at Misa who was watching him, obviously there are suddenly many question running in her mind. "You are one of those lucky few to whom I have shown myself to."

He saw a smile cross Misa's face and then he continued on downstairs. He knew that saying that would make Misa feel special and so she'd treasure the little secret a bit more.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Misa still had lots of things in mind she wanted to ask L, especially about his identity, which is really a big question mark for her. _"He was shrouded with mystery since he was young and I guess if he really doesn't reveal himself to others, then I am at least a bit closer to knowing him better than a bunch of other people he works with." _

Misa looked out the window. She remembered the suspect sitting behind that one way mirror in the police station. From the confident weirdo he was when he brought her to his basement, he sure was reduced to a sorry assed looking criminal. Most of the criminals look like that when they're caught, vulnerable and repentant. After becoming a victim herself she felt her sense of justice grew stronger and her loathe for those who harm others grew bigger.

After getting tired of looking at the tall trees that lined the road, her attention turned to Watari. She remembered how Watari introduced himself as her guardian, looks like he too was a secretive man. The old man sure does know a lot of things about L that she may never have the chance to know.

She recalled that the Det. Snow did ask her about L, but he was referring to him as Mr. Coil. The detective, seeing the confused look on her face, then laughed and told her that she probably hasn't seen the man's shadow despite being taken under his care. From him she learnt of the 3 best detectives in the world and he said that Coil was one of them and that he was honored to have closed a case while working with the man. Det. Snow did express how much he wanted to see the man himself, since according to him no one knew who he was exactly. People tried to investigate but none found even a trace of proof of his existence.

Upon entering the house, the first thing that caught her attention was L. He was sitting in his usual manner, busy with another case eating chocolate chip cookies.

_"Coil huh? another one of his aliases. So he is one of the best there is, I wonder who the other 2 are. Well, once all his curious fans in law enforcement see who Coil really is, they won't believe their eyes." _She thought as she casually sat right next to him in the sofa. She forgot about last night already and all that's in her mind right now is the fact that they shall be parting soon.

She took a cookie from his plate. He stopped his typing to finally acknowledge her presence.

"Who gave you permission to get one?" he asked in his usual tone.

"These are really good" she said as she munched on the cookie. "Hey! Don't look as if I finished all of them! Learn to share!"

He looked at her for a while longer and then returned to whatever he was doing.

"So Mr. Coil, I just learnt that you are quite a celebrity. Det. Snow was a fan of yours" Misa teased. "That alias though doesn't suit you, Mr. Great Detective. L sounds just great on you other than Monster."

"I trust that you haven't told him anything unimportant" he said while he stopped his typing to take a cookie.

"Of course not." Misa puffed. "Hey can I get your signature before I leave?" Misa joked

"No. When are you planning to leave?" He inquired as he glanced at her.

"Tomorrow then I'd be staying awhile with Granny to go get my other things and then buy a plane ticket. But I guess I'll be out of the country in a couple of days or so."

"I'd take care of your flight ticket."

"What?! Are you serious? Cause that would save me a lot of bucks" Misa said looking at him in surprise. He just nodded in reply. "You don't need to do that though, you've helped me enough already." She said with a small laugh. She felt embarrassed that for a moment she actually considered his offer.

"Alright. If that's what you want." He replied.

She didn't knew what to say to him next but she decided to keep quiet and just watch him type away. _"So this is it huh? I wonder if I'd ever see you again after this. I guess in just a short time I did fall for you somehow and I'm pretty sure this isn't just infatuation. Who would have guessed? You didn't fit the hunky, outgoing, charming and sweet ideal guy for me but somehow I am attracted to you. Guess you really wouldn't know. Probably it's the mystery that pulled me to you. You're a puzzle I can't get over with but I'd really enjoy unlocking each one of your secrets if I get a chance. Detective L."_

* * *

**_Note:_** _Please leave reviews, I'd be really happy to hear from you guys! _


	9. Numbered

**IX **

In one of the rooms in the second floor used as the main investigation room, L was taking a short break. For snacks he was having cream puffs to go with his coffee. He now has an idea of what Stryke would possibly want from Moore. He could've just asked Moore what it was but he made it a challenge to himself to find out what it is.

The threat wasn't made public and seems like Moore, and a small circle of important people in the govt. are the only ones who have an idea about it at the moment. L bets that the government is somehow involve with the program by the organization. What worries L at the mean time is the fact that the group seems hostile and that they might do something that would involve the public.

He pushed his thoughts on the case aside and let his mind wander off somewhere else. Watari then entered the room, sat in a desk adjacent to L's with his laptop and started working on something.

As he was munching on his cream puffs, Misa crossed L's mind. He remembered how she gave him a hug, gave him a pat on the head and called him Monster one last time. She was the closest thing he had for a friend for years and now she was gone. He really didn't planned to get attached to her or to anyone else but the way she threw herself at him for a hug and the way she made him remember one of the few fond memories of his childhood, somehow got to him.

He remembered that kiss they shared the other night it didn't end nicely but it was great. The last time he kissed a woman, he barely did it for the experience. He placed a finger gently over his lips and tapped it lightly a couple of times and let out a sigh. He then felt Watari's eyes watching him. He looked back at the old man.

"Is something bothering you?" Watari asked

"Hmmmm…..I'm not sure" he replied.

"L, tell me, why did Misa called you "Monster" this morning? She seemed to be very fond of you though. I mean, for her to call you a monster."

"I have never told you this but we've met each other before" L said as he fully turned his chair facing Watari who did the same.

"Is that so? Where?" Watari was surprised.

"In England, 10 years ago" There was silence for a while and then L continued. "Remember, I was very unstable then and I can get a bit hostile at times. I always went to the park when something goes wrong or when I'm lonely and bored."

Watari just listened to L. He knew that moments like this when the boy tells him stories are rare. He knew almost everything about the boy and is glad to be in on a story he has never heard from him.

L told Watari of when she first saw him to when he failed to meet her before she went away. He also told the old man that "Monster" was the name he was known for by other kids.

"I never would have guessed that you have a reputation with kids in the park. Now that I think about it, you disappear just like that every now and then before. So that's where you've been hiding." The old man said with a laugh.

"Well, that's some trip down memory lane" he replied. L turned around on his desk, took a bite from a cream puff and resumed work. Watari, smiled at him and did the same.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

"Why'd I always end up fetching the dogs" ranted a muscly, hairy guy with a barcode tattooed on his bare chest. He detested this familiar red brick hallway. It stunk of rotting flesh, mixed human excretions, faint bleach and thick haze of death. At the end of the hallway was an iron door and as he was approaching it memories of the days when he was the one behind them came rushing back to him. He quickly shook his head to rid himself of the memories.

The iron door has 2 locks which he opened with the key he had in his pocket. He quickly stepped inside the room and left the iron door ajar. About 10 feet from him was a bullet proof glass which serves as a wall and a door.

He gave a sigh at the view that welcomed him. Behind the glass was a wide room illuminated by white light. Its wall splattered with blood and bits of flesh. On the floor lies 4 bodies, one grotesquely gutted and the other three he wasn't sure yet but they sure are dead. On the corner near the glass was a boy scratching the wall, probably around the ages of 13-15, his hands was covered with dried blood and there were splatters on his body too. The boy's mouth appears to be bleeding but he realized that it's from something he ate. He wasn't sure but he thinks it has something to do with the innards near the boy.

"Oi! You sure did make a mess, eh?" he said as he walked towards the wall near the glass wall. He grabbed the handle on the wall revealing a small drawer, inside was a handheld scanner which he used to scan the bar code on his chest. Couple of moments later the glass wall slid open, the boy sitting next to it stood up and slowly walked out the room.

"So you're 4th eh? Well, nice to meet you 4th, I'm Smoke." He said as he opened the iron door and waited for the boy, who just watched him quietly, outside. Walking ahead the boy, Smoke was surprised when the boy sprinted and jumped on his back.

"Idiot!" he exclaimed as he took hold of the boy's arms before they can close on him, then he threw him hard on the floor a couple of feet from him. The boy grunted and writhed for a while. Smoke walked to the boy and lifted him with one hand in a choke and then pinned him on the wall.

"Try again after a decade" Smoke said and then he dropped him on the floor. "On your feet now and follow me." He commanded and then the boy stood up and weakly followed him, holding on the wall a number of times for support.

"Those asses, they should have got you out of there after you're done with the trash. Well, I guess no one else would want to get their hands dirty." Smoke sighed. "For the mean time you're 4th and once you've proven yourself we'll give you some nice tag."

Reaching the other end of the hallway, Smoke pushed open another iron door and then boarded an elevator with 4th. On their way up, the boy stood opposite him with his eyes glaring at Smoke.

"I'll kill you" said 4th with conviction. Smoke laughed.

"Yeah right. Please do kill me, if I'm not yet dead by the time you're able to kill me." Smoke said with a smirk. The boy kept on glaring at him and it was making him uncomfortable. Smoke thought of grabbing the boy and scooping out his eyes with his fingers but pushed the thought away, they needed every successful specimen. Finally, they reached the ground level.

They stepped out the elevator and walked down a long dimly lit hallway. Smoke glanced at the boy who was still glaring at him from behind.

"If looks could kill, with those sharp glares of yours, I'd be impaled. Too bad they can't." Smoke said with a small laugh. "Now cheer up 4th, you'd be getting your price for beating up those trash."

The boy looked up at Smoke. "You see this?" Smoke said pointing at the bar code in his chest. "You'd get one today and your officially part of Stryke."

"Stryke" mumbled the boy.

"Yeah, Stryke. If you want to kill me, you'd need experience and you'd gain experience by working on another playground, the one outside this facility"

"Hhmm. Hey! Will I see Master?"

"Tsk! Another fan of that bloody bastard. Yeah, of course. He'd brief you and all" Smoke said turning right on a corner. "Well here we are." Smoke announced as he opened the door. Inside it looks like an operating room and it stunk of cigarettes and sweat.

"Mint! Take care of this brat. Be careful, he just told me he wanted to kill me." Smoke said as he nudged 4th forward to a bald man with pattern tattoo on half of his head.

"You're 4th right? Well kill Smoke as a favor for me please" Mint said with a laugh. "Now come here" he said tapping the rectangular, tiled counter beside him.

4th hesitated for a moment but slowly went near Mint. Mint then grabbed his wrist, in one scoop, carried him and laid him down the counter. 4th trashed around for a while but was quickly sedated by Mint.

"Hey did you know the kid ate one of them" Smoke said sitting in a stool.

"Yeah? Well, he was there for days without food, he's got no choice. Why were you out for long anyway?" Mint asked as he started stripping the boy and washed him.

"Well, I was sent to check on 5th but turns out she had a seizure after the drug was introduced and died. Then Master called me, told me to check on 2nd. I could've said no but did anyway. That kid is smart and has tendencies of resisting orders or deviating from plans. What a pain." Smoke said lighting a cigarette.

"But he's the best out of the 4, well this one we still have to see but the look in his eyes says he's an animal." Mint said rinsing the boy with a hose.

" You're like that too back then."

"Well, you were the softy remember" replied Mint and the two laughed in unison and retold some shared stories.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

"Now they're taking responsibility for the death of a congressman and his entire family." L said as he ended a conversation with Moore who was undoubtedly panicking. _"The family was on a vacation in the mountains. Based on the investigation they expired 3 days ago. It is believed that there was only 1 assailant and based on the cuts it was only done by one blade. The only trace left behind was a cassette tape with their message. The culprit is skilled, to take down those bodyguards and leave not a trace of himself behind. Plus the cuts were clean but fatal."_

_"Stryke have skilled and trained people on their side. Now to keep them from causing more damage, I shall try and think ahead of them. They mentioned in their message that they'd be playing around a bit more and that they'd be watching Moore." _L then stood up, took his laptop and left the room.

Downstairs Watari was waiting in the living room.

"Shall we go?" Watari asked.

"Yes." L replied. The two then walked out the house, Watari behind L locking the main door. The black Rolls Royce Phantom was waiting for them in the driveway. The two then slipped into the car, Watari on the driver's seat and L on the back. The engine roared to life and they drove off leaving another temporary home behind.

* * *

**Note: **_This my friends, is a start of the new story arc. Hope you read on :))) Please leave reviews, I really love to hear from my readers._

_*This story arc will have more OC in them and I hope you'd love them._


	10. Explode

**X **

"Mr. Moore…" hissed a voice on the other line. "You see what happens when you don't follow what I ask from you. Now your dear friend is dead."

"What do you want!?" Moore exclaimed, his palms sweating and he can feel a headache looming.

"Oh, you know what I want." Came the reply with a laugh.

"Why'd you want it so much? Wasn't the money enough? You promised to shut down the whole thing…"

"And what? You'll send your men and hunt us? Kill us like you killed everyone else 12 years ago? I think not" interrupted the angry voice from the other end of the line.

"I'm not hearing anymore of this!" shouted Moore.

"And yeah, the move to ask help from that detective is pretty dumb. He'd find out the truth and everything about the project and your involvement"

"Shut it!" Moore said in panic, he did realize that just a minute after the detective accepted his request. Pulling back the request would make him look suspicious though so he just went through with it._  
"How did this guy know that he hired L anyway? He made sure to keep everything 'hush hush' " _

There was a maniacal laugh on the other line. "So you together with 3 other man took interest with the project and revived it even after the organizations demise. Grove went to you just in time. So one of the 3 other men was the congressman, but he's now dead." Then there was a pause. "The other one is that billionaire West, we'd take him out next. Then there is the ex-secretary of defense, who is now Mr. President. Now isn't this getting exciting or what?" taunted the man.

"You!... Fuck you!" exclaimed Moore. Putting down the phone would end this madness but he might give him something important.

"Yeah right, fuck me." Then there was another laugh "Hey how about I blow off some of your citizens? That would be nice eh?"

"You're not doing that!"

"Then give it to me"

Moore can't answer him. Giving what he wants would be treason.

"I see. You can't be shaken that easily. Hey Moore, if I were you I'd be getting some good night sleep, you'll need it."

"Bastard!" ranted Moore.

"Tomorrow would be a great day Moore. Tomorrow at noon, I'm sure we'd feel like doing something nasty. Also you might want to say good bye to West. Well, that's all and sweet dreams" said the voice with a drawl. The call ended and Moore wished that he didn't even bothered with that project but there is no time for regrets, he thought. "I think, I know what to do. This is my best shot as of the moment. I might lose some but in the end if I win over Stryke it might be worth it" he told himself.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

_"So Moore wants to discuss something to me, I wonder if the skeleton just fell out of his closet and is catching up to him"_ L thought as he waited for Watari to connect him to Moore. Moments later they were on.

"L, I'm glad that you agreed to talk to me at this hour." Moore started. L can sense strains of nervousness in his voice.

"So what is it you want to talk to me about?" he asked.

"You probably know a lot right now. About the case I mean."

"Is there something else I need to know about?"

"Yes."

"Why tell me these other details you've left out before now?"

"Because, lives of people depend on it, including mine" Moore said in a serious tone.

_"Just as I thought, he's finally haunted by his secrets" _L thought as he started to casually drop sugar cubes on his cup of coffee. "Alright, I'm listening" L said.

Moore focused his eyes on the laptop screen covered with L's logo. He tried to ignore the fact that he's uncomfortable talking like this, to a man whose face he doesn't know and whose voice is even modified. He then finished his brandy in one slurp and started talking. Yes, confessing things would be easier. The more the detective knows the easier it is to defeat Stryke. He trusts the detective and his skills and so he places his faith and that of the others in his hand.

L listened to Moore's narration most of it he already knew. Just as he thought, the government was in on it. The new things he learnt from Moore were the people involved, which included the current president, and the thing Stryke wants.

_"So it was a drug that could enhance human capabilities, it was the only successful sample, tried on only one subject 5 years ago. The drug after being swiped from the organization, which was just destroyed at the time, was entrusted to Moore and he is the only person who knows where it is hidden and how to get to it. Given that Stryke had contact with Moore, they could have just easily kidnapped him and torture him to get the information they needed but what they're doing is revenge." _L thought.

"Thank you. Now everything in the puzzle fits." L said.

"Please do everything you can to help stop and catch them. I'd ensure to provide you with all the help you need." Moore swore.

"I'd contact you at around 6 in the morning with details of how you'd take on this matter from this point on." L said and he ended the conversation the moment he heard Moore's affirmation.

L stood up and walked to the large windows of the hotel room and stared at the dark sky. _"What would happen when the time runs out on that timer? That's the only piece left I believe. 71 more hours, these would be a crucial time. The next city is a couple hours away from here. Looks like I should be visiting it since West is there." _

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Misa was sitting in a bench in the subway station, with her 2 travelling bag and a backpack. She watched the people passing by her and the old lady beside her who seemed to be asleep. As she quietly watched the world around her the memories of her stay in the country repeated quickly in her mind and then she sighed. Placing an earphone in her right ear she tried to drown half the noise of the place with music. She then randomly remembered Det. Snow, probably because the last name of the lead singer of the band she's listening to is Snow.

_"In 10 people you pass by every day, at least 2 off them have greater psychotic tendencies than the others. Ron and Fred Maxwell, are one of those people who looked all respectable and clean outside. People you'd pass by and never think of as serial killers. The two by the way grew up with an abusive mother who never gave them any toys to play with and so they took dolls that their mother collected from her younger years. The mom would lash at them for touching those dolls and keep it away from them. Several times their mother told them that she really wished to have girls for kids, that way she could dress 'em up and all that. The boys then thought that their mother would love them if they became girls and so they pretended to be one, only to be punished by their mother harshly. One day they saw their mother doting over a couple of blonde girls from the block, heard her say that they were like dolls, hence begins their obsession with doll like girls. Until one day, like every other unhealthy obsession, the boys became insane." _ Misa thought remembering what Snow told her when she asked about the suspects.

As much as she could Misa tried not to think about the whole incident anymore but every now and then it just pops in her mind. _"Misa, you'd be home soon. Once you're home you'll completely move on"_ she thought. She'd be leaving the country today, excited as she may be; she wished that she could see L one last time. She blushed at the thought of him. Her thoughts were interrupted though when somebody filled in the space next to the old lady.

Misa glanced to her left and saw that it was just some boy. She was about to return to her business when something caught her eye. She then looked at the boy again. _"No way! That's so cool! His eyes are heterochromic! Blue and light brown… if the other one was green that would be better though. I wonder if he's a cosplayer."_ She thought. To her surprise the boy caught her stare. She instantly looked away.

A while after looking away, she looked back at the boy only to find that he was on his way up the stairs in the other side. This was when Misa noticed that the boy left his bag. It was a brown satchel bag. Misa, being the concerned and nosy person that she is, took the bag and tried to catch after the boy who was already nearing the top of the stairs.

"Hey! You in the gray hoodie!" She called. Some people looked at her but not the boy. The boy then vanished just like that. A security guard who happens to be passing by approached her.

"Ma'am, is there a problem?" he inquired eyeing her from head to toe. It was probably her Lolita inspired dress and luggage.

"Oh, Officer" she beamed "The guy who sat by the bench left this" she said handing the bag to the officer. It was quite heavy she must admit.

"Thank you" the guard said as he took the bag from her and checked for name tags but there was none. So he went and opened the bag. The guard suddenly paled and looked like he just choked on something. Misa seeing the guard's reaction started to worry and for some reason her heart started beating faster. The guard then turned around and radioed something in a soft voice, making Misa unable to hear what he just said.

"Ma'am please stay where you are." He said looking a bit hostile all of a sudden and scared at the same time, still holding the bag in his hands. Moments later a group of policemen came rushing down. They approached Misa and the guard. Misa looked at them in horror as they placed hand cuffs on her without saying anything else. She wanted to scream but the stern look on their faces choked her voice.

"You did a good job. The bomb squad is on their way, now follow Officer Hart, quickly and try not to make a scene. 7 minutes right?" said the officer and the guard nodded and was quickly led away by Officer Hart somewhere.

People were looking at them. Misa was surrounded by 4 police officers and was escorted out the place. Next thing she knew she was tossed in the back of the police car. _"They said something about a bomb. No way. That bag has a bomb on it?"_ she thought as her head hit the window of the police car. Finally, she found it in her to talk.

"Why? Why are you taking me away? I was just returning the bag…. It was left in the bench by a guy" she said trembling. She knew this was supposed to be the part where she starts screaming at them but she wasn't that dumb to not know how serious having a bomb with her is, even if she knows nothing about it.

"Tell that to the other terrorist who blew shit up!" growled the police sitting in front.

"Now they even use young girls. This is sick." ranted the police who was driving.

"I'm no terrorist! Besides you can't just arrest me like this! You haven't even told me my rights! And again I'm telling the truth" she exclaimed.

"Save that for later! Terrorists don't deserve the rights provided by our law." said the police glaring at her.

Misa cried the rest of the ride to the police station. She learnt that the bomb was successfully detonated but turns out another one exploded in an amusement park, there was a total of 22 casualties.

Misa sat quietly in an interrogation room, she finally stopped crying. _"I'm innocent! I shouldn't cry!" _ she thought.

The door then opened and a brawny middle aged man walked in and sat in front of her.

"You're Amane Misa, a Japanese national, age 17. Anyway none of that is important as of the moment. 13 people are dead and 9 are severely injured from the explosion in an amusement park and you had a bomb with you on the subway. Coincedence? I guess not. What do you know about Stryke?" asked the man looking at her sternly. Misa felt that the man would bite her head off any moment now.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I was just returning the bag. A guy left it. He must be the bomber" Misa answered, her voice shaking.

"So you know nothing? I'll give you another chance" the man pulled his chair closer to the table and looked her coldly in the eyes. "Are you part of Stryke?. Now Ms. Amane, answer this and who knows we might be easy on you but refuse and I tell you, we have ways to get what we want from people"

The last words the man said sent chills down her spine, tears started to roll down her eyes uncontrollably. "I swear! I know nothing of what you're saying. I swear" she defended but it looks like she was talking to man who wouldn't accept that for an answer.

* * *

**Note:**_ What can I say? Hmmm... Just thank you for reading and please leave a review hahahaha XOXO_


	11. Innocent

**XI **

"I can't get anything out from the girl" said the brawny middle aged man as he entered a hall filled with busy bodies.

"What? The toughest, meanest guy around can't squeeze anything out from a girl?" said an officer who looked up from his computer. There was a cohesive laugh from several other police officers in the room.

"Well, some men in black are there with the girl right now. So she's off my plate for a while." The man replied as he slumped into his chair. "Have you got your hand on the surveillance records in the subway, lad?" he directed to a newbie just across his desk. The guy raised the CD in the air and waved it. "Just about to review it sir. Also got a copy of that short message from Stryke claiming responsibility for the incident" he called out.

"Great" he replied and he looked around his desk. He can't be at peace just doing nothing; he never just leaves things to other guys. So he decided to go down and check on things.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

"Lieutenant Grant." greeted one of the agents. Grant just nodded in reply. He wanted in on the new development, so he might as well chat with this guy.

"So, how's the interrogation going?" Grant asked

"She's consistent with what she's saying and seems shaken up. Must be scared like hell, somehow I pity her" said the agent looking at Grant who just raised a brow at him.

"Pity is for wimps" Grant said.

"Well, she doesn't look like she's lying to me. Besides, she's not guilty until proven, right sir?" the agent said, reminding Grant not to play the judge right away. The agent though doesn't blame the guy. Since the turn of the century, and after some terrorist attacks and threats, fear was instilled with many citizens of the nation. Some even actually turned extremists themselves, starting to judge people by their race and affiliations. He knew, he was an immigrant himself.

"I'd be going to the investigating room. I wonder if they found anything on her things" said Grant.

"Mind if I join you?" asked the agent and walked next to Grant.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

In a coffee shop somewhere in the city, a boy in his teens, in a gray hoodie was silently typing away in a corner seat. A sudden vibration of his phone, which was right next to his laptop, destructed his concentration. He grunted.

"Yoh! 2nd! You dumb ass what do you think you're doing!" said the pissed of voice from the other end of the line.

_"It's the snooty 1__st__" _he thought and then sighed before replying. "What's the problem? I did what I was instructed to do."

"No idiot! Where'd the other blast went? Up your momma's ass?" replied 1st .

_"And here we go again"_ he thought. "If you say so" he replied nonchalantly.

"You are getting' on my nerves! Now either you do your job right or I'll pick your sorry ass from there and kick you all the way back here, you hear me?!"

"yeah…yeah" 2nd replied rolling his eyes.

"You're lucky Master didn't say anything."

"He was cool with it, then what are you so worked up about, besides I was told to make a distraction and that one thing diverted everyone's attention already" 2nd explained in ease.

"Whatever. I'd be heading out now." 1st said and the call ended. 2nd sighed and blew away the blond strands falling to his eyes.

_"Now about that message I have to send" _he thought as he returned to his work.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Clothes, shoes and other women stuff scattered on the table of the investigation room. One of the men who were sifting through the things slumped on his chair and laughed.

"Looks like we'll just get a black sexy lingerie, yeah?" he said as he spin one of the lingerie in his index finger. His buddy grabbed the thing from him, feeling ashamed that the guy would have to act that stupid in front of the Lt. and an agent.

"So there's nothing?" Grant asked.

"Nada" came the reply.

"But there is a phone in her back pack and surprisingly it only has one number in its contacts. Pretty weird for a girl her age to have no contacts in her phone right?" said the more serious of the two.

"Hhhmm. That's interesting" said the agent glancing at Grant.

"Especially for a hottie like her, I mean look at these pictures. She's an aspiring model, did a couple of print ads and fashion shoots, see?" said the more comical guy as he spread Misa's photos on the table.

"How about we call the number?" Grant suggested.

"What if it detonates a bomb or activates something?"

"You're right."

"Well, let's just ask her." suggested the agent.

"And take her word to heart?"

"Yes. If something bad happens then she'd be in a big mess"

"That's true but…" Lt. Grant wasn't able to finish, the agent walked out the door and headed to the interrogation room.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Misa felt like just dropping dead on the floor. She felt all weak and tired. She tried both the calm and frantic approach, well she wasn't really good at this things. Who would be anyway, if each men who enters the room looked like they're going to cook her for dinner.

It's been almost 5 minutes now and this Agent Buck said that he would wait for her to speak. Everything was silent until the door opened and that Lt. Grant was back in the room again, this time with the man who came with Buck.

"Ms. Amane, I'm Agent Cole. I'm with Agent Buck here and we've found a phone in your possession. Oddly enough, for someone your age, it only has one contact? Why is that?" Cole said holding up the phone in his hands.

_"L's phone! Jeez…. I forgot to return it. Wait! He can help me out of this!... or maybe not…." _That was the first thing that crossed Misa's mind. She was so absorbed with what she was thinking that she forgot to answer the question.

"Well, Ms. Amane we're going to call this number. Please tell us that it is safe to do so. I mean for all we know this might detonate another bomb and we won't want any more surprises." Cole said.

"Is it safe Ms. Amane?" demanded Grant snapping her out of her thoughts. She nodded. Grant went out the room and minutes later came back with men with some sort of device and a laptop. After a couple more minutes of setting up, they told Grant that everything was set.

"Now make the call long enough so we can trace where the receiver is" Grant instructed Cole.

_"Oh no! They'd know their location. L was pretty serious about hiding his identity and stuff. Shit! This isn't time for that. I just want to get out of here! Please! I hope the number is either L's or Watari's. But what if it's not, then I'm surely done for. Maybe this is when I should tell them that it's not mine, but that would make me look guilty…. URGH!"_ Misa thought in panic, she felt like she stopped breathing the moment Cole pressed the call button.

It was after exactly 3 rings that someone answered the call.

"Hello" said Cole waiting for an answer and he placed the call on speaker.

"Hello. May I inquire who this is?" came a reply from a deep voice.

"Forgive me but may I know who this is?" Cole asked.

"Well, sir, I'm currently busy right now and if you don't go straight to business, I would have to end this call immediately" came the reply. Agent Cole hated the authority in the deep voice but spoke in his usual manner anyway.

"This is Agent Cole, I found your number on a phone, carried by a suspected terrorist. It is the only contact on the phone." said Cole, looking over at the guys trying to track the location of the receiver. There were furrowed foreheads behind him, looks like he should be chattier.

" Is that so?" came the calm reply of the deep voice.

"Yes and it would be really great if you can provide us with an identification." Cole said looking over at the guys who seemed to come up with nothing. "As you said you're busy. I too am busy." He added.

"That's not necessary."

"Why is that?" Cole asked with a raised brow. "You know how serious this is right?"

"Yes. By the way Agent Cole, is there any chance that the name of your suspected terrorist is Amane Misa? She's a Japanese National, a teenage girl with blonde hair." inquired the deep voice.

Everyone listening to the conversation was surprised. Grant and Buck who were getting irritated with the conversation perked up and looked at each other. The men trying to trace the call still come out with nothing.

Misa who was listening felt like wanting to jump up and down but she was constrained and she wasn't in the mood anyway. She felt somewhat relieved though that someone did answer the phone.

"How did you know?" inquired Cole "Sir, may I now know your name for identification?"

"As we are speaking I believe you are trying to trace the call, which means that there is a laptop near you. Now Agent Cole, for identification I would want the guys in charge of tracing the call to listen to my instructions. This call I believe is on speaker, so they'd hear."

Agent Cole with his patience, felt like shouting at the guy on the other line. He now tells them to do as instructed. Without waiting for any reply from them the voice set out a number of instructions and after a couple of minutes, the 2 guys in charge of the call trace stood up from their seats, with a look of pure astonishment in their faces.

"This has got to be a joke" said one of the guys and then he carried the laptop to the table. The call then ended before Cole can say anything. Everyone else in the room went in front of the laptop to check what's up.

"What's this joke?" Grant complained looking at the Old English letter L logo on the screen.

"No, this isn't. I am L." came the modified voice from the laptop.

Upon hearing this Misa saw a spark of hope come to light. She witnessed the dropped jaw and the surprised looks on the men's faces, even Grant.

"Now, about your suspected terrorist. She isn't the one who should be keeping you busy right now. As we speak the real terrorist is on the loose, preparing for his next move. I am currently working on the case and I assure you, we'll catch whoever is responsible for this. Stryke, is a group of highly skilled individuals and so if you would like to cooperate with me on catching them it would be well appreciated."

"Why should we trust you? You hold the case? For all we know you might be a fake. I'm not even sure you exist." Grant exclaimed.

"You are free to contact any of your big bosses anytime and they can confirm that I do exist." came the confident response. "Now that you know who you are speaking to may I know the name of the one in charge at the moment?" The men exchanged glances upon hearing this but Grant took the bullet.

"Yeah, this is Lt. Grant."

"Lt. Grant, I believe that Ms. Amane is currently in the same room as you are right now. May I speak with her?"

"Alright" Grant replied after looking at the other men.

"Misa, you met the one who left the bomb in the subway station right? Do you remember the person? If so, please describe the suspect." L said. Misa decided to answer the question and say no more and no less.

"Yes, I was sitting on a bench then. There was an old lady in between us but I saw him." Misa started her voice still a bit trembling but she swallowed to clear it. "He was around my age, blonde and there is something about his eyes. His eyes are heterochromic, I thought he was a cosplayer so I stared at him for a while but he caught me so I looked away. When I looked back at him, he was already on his way up the stairs, leaving that bag behind."

"Thank you Misa. Lt. Grant, as we were speaking I was reviewing the footage of the security camera's in the subway and it would show you that the guy who sat in the same bench as Ms. Amane did left the bag and I'm sure he didn't leave it to pass it to her."

"L, that's what you're called right? Well, this is Agent Buck, I would like to ask you if why would a phone containing only your contact number be with this girl?" Buck asked.

"Not relevant at the moment but to suffice your curiosity, she helped me with a case. I lend her that phone, which only has my contact number, and I let her keep it. Now let's get back to the matter at hand. I wish to speak with anyone who is willing to help catch the bomber in a separate room. I believe that as we speak a request to form a team for this case just arrived in the police commissioner's table."

"Alright, is there anything more you want?" said Grant sounding irritated.

"Yes. Ms. Amane, please release her as soon as this conversation ends and please return the phone to her."

"You just can't tell us to release her" ranted Grant. "You may have worked with her but are you sure that she isn't in on the terrorist plot?"

"I am and I'm never wrong. That is all" said L and then the conversation ended.

All eyes are now on Misa, who looked back with stubbornness. The door opened a bit and a head poked inside saying that the commissioner was expecting to see everyone in 15 minutes. The men exchanged looks.

One of the guys in charge of tracing the call looked up at Grant and said "Well, looks like that was really the one and only L."

* * *

**Note:** I bet some of you are wondering where the phone from chapter 7 went. Hahaha here it is! Anyway thanks for reading this far. 3 3 3 Please let me know what you think of it :))


	12. Frenzy

**XII (Frenzy)**

"I trust that you can take on this job." L said

"Have you forgotten who you're talking to? Anyway, how about cutting me some extra if I get the job done? I mean, you said it yourself that I have to take on someone dangerous." replied the man. His dark curly hair tousled by the wind as he strides down the long high end corporate hallway.

"Sergei. Just do the job and try not to get killed, then we'll see" L replied

"Alright!" Sergei said and without another word the call ended. "You only remember me when something like this comes up, what a jerk!" He stopped at a two door office and without even knocking went inside it. No one was there. _"The fool must have been scared with what L told him. Now let's see, there are a number of interesting expensive pieces in here. I should try my best not to destroy any off these."_ He thought as he sat in the huge swiveling chair behind the mahogany table. "Now come at me" he said with a grin.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Just as L asked them to do, Misa was released. Standing in the curb, Misa thought of what to do next. She clutched the phone in her hands. _"After being a victim, I became a suspected terrorist .What next? Misa! What's happening to your life?" _ She thought as she started walking with her bags behind her. She turned the corner and continued walking down the sidewalk. Her phone rang and she answered it.

"Misa. Watari is on his way to pick you up in the police station. Please wait for him." L said in his usual tone. Misa wished that there would be at least a hint of concern in his voice.

"I'm no longer at the police station."

"Where are you now?" Misa then looked around and saw a diner just across the street.

"At a diner just around the station, in the 21st." She said as she started to cross the street.

"Alright. Just stay there." L said and then the call ended. Misa sighed and then entered the diner, taking the corner seat near the window so that she could easily spot that vintage but classy car drove around by Watari. She placed her arms on the table and rested her head in them. She closed her eyes trying her best not to stress herself out. _"Looks like I won't be going home today after all. Looking on the brighter side, I'm going to meet L again, but under this kind of circumstance. Urgh. What did I do wrong to deserve this? Never in my life have I thought of becoming a terrorist or be suspected as one" _Misa thought and sighed. She opened her eyes and to her surprise someone took the seat in front of her. The messy honey blonde hair, heterochromic eyes and slightly sun kissed skin. It wasn't just anyone; it was that guy from the subway, only now he was wearing a brown leather jacket.

"You're…" Misa started but before she can say anything the guy swiftly moved to the sit right next to her. She felt something poking her side, a gun.

"Don't do something stupid, like shouting or getting anyone's attention. I'll kill you and I can kill every single soul in this place." He said in almost a whisper. "I'm going to ask you questions and you'll answer me, ok?" Misa nodded in reply. She was starting to feel dizzy.

"How old are you?" he asked. Misa looked at him and answered. "17" She wanted to just shut up but she doesn't get why he had to ask her such trivial questions at a gun point. "Hey , why do you want to know.." she started but was interrupted.

"I do the asking. What's your name?" He stared at her with his heterochromic eyes which were actually tantalizing if only he wasn't this terrifying.

"I won't tell you." Misa knew that this isn't the time for stubbornness but why would she give her name to a complete stranger. "Did you know that I was taken in…." she started to rant but the guy looked at her grimly. She shut up knowing that she might have just shortened her life span.

" Where were you 6 years ago, around December?"

"How the hell should I remember?" she answered and then luckily the waitress came to the table with her fish and chips.

"What should I get your friend here?" asked the waitress smiling with a hint of flirt at the guy.

"I won't need anything. We'd share. Thank you." He replied with an ever so innocent smile.

"Ok" the waitress smiled with a small wink and left.

_"Seriously? If she only knew….but hey he's a looker… jeez Misa what are you thinking… he'd kill you stupid!" _She thought. She was surprised that the guy started to pick up some of her chips and ate.

"Don't you remember me?" he asked looking a bit softer now.

"What? No, I'm sure we haven't met" Misa said quite surprised with the question.

"They must have made you forget." He smiled bitterly. "We may not meet again but…" he said and then he took her hand and pinky swore with her with a fist bump.

"What…." Misa mumbled.

"Try to remember" he said and then he stood up and left. Misa was left there more confused than ever. _"He must have mistaken me for someone else. I knew he killed a lot of people and I'm really scared of him. Hell, my hands are still trembling and I think I'm going to hyperventilate but I feel sad for him, that bitter smile….why?" _

10 minutes later a black Audi RS7 park across the street. Misa was surprised that Watari stepped out from the car. She was expecting the vintage car to come and besides a modern car looks a bit weird for the old man. She quickly got up gather her things and left a couple of bills for her food. Watari met her half way and took her things and placed it inside the car. Misa went in and so did Watari and drove off.

"Oh! Watari! I'm so glad to see you!" Misa beamed. "I've become a bother to you again, I'm sorry"

"I'm glad to see that you're fine. It was a good thing that you brought that phone with you" Watari said with a smile.

"It was like luck I guess, that I haven't returned it" She said and then sighed. "Of all the people, I ended up the one getting mixed up in all these." She pouted.

"Things happen for a reason Ms. Amane" Watari said with another smile. Misa smiled too and tried to lean back the seat and closed her eyes. "I feel so tired" she mumbled and she drifted off to sleep.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

_"West….West…West…" _1st mumbled as he went up the stairs. _"The detective sure did tell him that he's targeted. His house was surrounded by hardened bodyguards but he ain't there. The tracker I attached to his car led me here and I saw him pacing around his office just moments ago, so I'm sure he's here. How many men have he placed in his office, I wonder?" _ He then quickened his pace _"2 more floors"_

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Misa slowly opened her eyes and stretched her arms. She sat up thinking that she's still in the car but to her surprise she was on a couch. The room was dimly lit and there wasn't any window in the room and in a corner she spotted L, crouched on his seat focused on reading something.

"Oh men…. I've got to say sorry to Watari again…" Misa mumbled with a loud sigh.

"Why is that?" L said as he stood from his chair and walked towards Misa. He placed a bunch of papers on the floor in front of Misa. He sat on the floor in his usual position and pulled out a lollipop from his pocket and started eating.

"Well, I fell asleep in the car and now I'm here…. I mean he must've carried me here and that's embarrassing…." Misa said.

"He didn't carried you here, I did. It actually hurt my back a bit." He said looking up at her in that usual stoic manner. Misa blushed and on her head she imagined how it must've look like, him carrying her.

"Are you saying I'm heavy!? You really need some exercise Mr.!" She blurted out.

"Here are some files I want you to go through. Just look at the pictures and tell me if any of them looks familiar to you." L said. Misa sat on the floor just across him. She took the bunch of papers and placed them in her lap.

"Thank you" She mumbled looking down at the papers with her. "You helped me again"

"I just did what I have to do."

"Who are these kids anyway?" Misa asked as she went through each paper.

"Those kids were part of a program. They were trained to become killers."

"What?! That's just awful?" Misa said looking up at him for a while and continued what she was doing. She was starting to feel awkward. L was just staring at her saying nothing. She can barely concentrate on what she was doing. She was about to burst out to him when she saw a familiar face on the files in her hand.

"No way…" she mumbled and stared at the photo on the paper. L instantly went closer to her and sat next to her. Misa's heart jumped at their proximity.

"Where have you seen him?" he asked snapping Misa back to reality.

"He was the guy from the subway. Only he's younger here and his eyes are both brown." Misa then remembered that he approached her earlier.

"Hey L" Misa called the detective's attention.

"Yes?" he said looking at her.

"He went up to me when I was in the diner. I'm sorry I forgot to say it right away. He questioned me with a gun point." Misa placed down the guy's file and continued. "He asked me my age and my whereabouts 6 years ago in December. He asked me if I remember him and then he told me that 'They made you forget'. He pinky swore with me and told me to remember. I don't know him though"

"Where were you 6 years ago in December?" L asked taking the files from her.

"In Japan. My family always spends the whole month of December together at home"

"He must've mistaken you for somebody then." L concluded and then he stood up and went back to his laptop.

"He smiled bitterly you know. I was so scared of him but he was so sad, I felt it." Misa said sitting back up at the couch and watched L work.

"Is that so? Do you pity him?" L asked without looking at her, absorb with whatever he was doing.

"I don't know….. I mean he did something wrong but there must be a reason. He must've been controlled by someone. I mean he was part of that program right…." Misa explained.

L stopped typing and looked at Misa with those dark judging eyes of his. After a while he just resumed what he was doing without uttering a word.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

_"So he came"_ Sergei thought as he tented his fingers and sighed. _"Anytime now"_

The door busted open and a couple of silenced shots were fired at the seat facing away from the door behind the mahogany table. Sergei watched as the guy walked further into the room, scanning it. _"It's just a lad" _he thought but then it doesn't matter who it is anyway. He came out from hiding and locked the guy's neck with an arm, grabbing the wrist, twisting it to make him drop the gun.

The gun dropped on the floor but despite Sergei's strength and grip, the guy was able to release himself from the lock. Without any words the guy attacked him in frenzy. Sergei though, with all his experience and skills dodged or blocked each attacks thrown at him. _"He's got skills and his hits are pretty strong but he is too agitated."_

Sergei managed to land a solid punch on his face, followed up with a punch in the solar plexus. _"You're lucky, L wanted you alive" _he thought. To his surprise the guy didn't even flinched. _"Impossible. Have my punches rusted already?"_ In one swift motion a blade appeared in the guy's hand and he tried to target Sergei's neck but he was able to dodge the attack.

"No one messes with 1st" mumbled the guy.

"What pride you have? Calling yourself #1 already?" Sergei said with a small laugh and found an opening and in one quick and well executed hip throw, he sent 1st sprawling on the floor. "_What's wrong with this kid?"_ he thought as he saw a confident smiled on the guy's face. Quickly 1st stood up and started attacking Sergei again.

_"He's drugged. He's numb from the pain." _ 1st continued on his attacks and finally he landed a kick on Sergei's side. Sergei groaned in pain but he was quick enough to catch the leg that hit him before it retracted. With one swift and strong elbow attack to the guy's knee cap, Sergei was able to send him falling on the floor. There was a snapping sound, he was sure that he broke the kid's leg. Not a tear or a wince of pain came from the kid which really surprised Sergei.

Sergei pushed the blade and the gun away from the kid. 1st placed a pill in his mouth and swallowed it the instant Sergei looked away for a while.

"Shit! What was that?!" Sergei said just seeing a glimpse of what the kid did and wasn't able to stop him.

"You can't win. You die." mumbled 1st.

"Stupid! That's not how it is!" Sergei exclaimed and was about to make the kid puke out the pill but the kid said something that stopped him.

"Thank you. You'd be after the others, please tell them I'd wait."1st then drew his last breath. Sergei, despite being the tough guy that he is felt bad for the kid.

He stood up and took out his phone. "You made me lose the extra money. Damn kid" he mumbled. He was about to call L when he heard a series of explosions from the floors below. He looked out the window and saw that a number of floors below are on fire. He decided that it was time to get out of there.

Moments later Sergei was just another face in the crowd, watching the firemen at work. _"I should call him now" _he thought as he started to walk away from the crowd.

"L" he started.

"How was it?"

"The kid killed himself, took a pill. He was a pretty good fighter though and was numb, drugged probably."

"Is that so. Too bad. I expect that you didn't left him lying around in West's office."

"Of course not." Sergei said with a small laugh

"What did you do with him?"

"That's mine to know. Anyway why bother. The kid planted bombs in 3 different floors of the building. The men are busy bringing down bodies, both of the wounded and dead. With the kids last words I feel like he planned to die. Damn, the kid thanked me and told me to tell the others that he'd wait." Sergei said as he started walking down the street.

"Thank you. Your pay would be left in the same place as before, check it tomorrow morning."

"Sure, sure." He said and then the call ended.

"The world sure is cruel." He said to himself as he waited for the red light before crossing the street.

"It is indeed" replied some guy who stood behind him.

Not even able to get a look at the guy, Sergei dropped dead on the pedestrian.

People were screaming and a woman who stood near him froze in her place, her eyes feasting on his exploded skull. Blood and gray matter mixed. Witnesses tossed and turned trying to find the assailant but just like that he was gone.

"That was for 1st" whispered the assailant as he made his escape. Entering an alley several blocks from the scene, he dumps his jacket and hat in a dumpster. He quickly climbed the emergency exit stairs and once on top of the building he made a call.

"3rd here" he said lighting a cigarette. "Master, 1st is dead."

"What?" came the confused reply.

"Saw it with my own eyes. I was watching him from the building across. He lost the fight and so he ended his life. I took care of the guy he fought with" 3rd tried his best to hide the grief he felt. 1st was like a little brother to him.

'This is really… unexpected but this is the more reason for us to continue on."

"I know. I'm sorry I know we can't afford to lose any manpower. I tried to get to him but didn't make it in time. I shall get going now Master" then he ended the call and thought of where to go next.

* * *

**Note: Please don't forget to leave a review! Hearing from you guys really makes me happy and reviews help the author improve on their writing and can even give 'em ideas so reviews are really well appreciated hahaha :))**

*** **To the one who noticed that this fanfic is inspired by Dexter kudos to you my dear! Hahaha I love Dexter a lot! Not only that this is inspired by Dexter but this is sort of loosely based on Preston and Child's Pendergast Novels_ (I saw the similarities with L and their main character Special Agent A.X.L Pendergast) *Not an advertisement for their books but you guys should really give their books a try*_


	13. Sham

**XIII (Sham)**

"My building got trashed by those bastards" West ranted as he finished his cognac.

"At least you're alive. That's what matters" Moore sighed in reply, taking a puff at his cigar.

"Well, what's the plan now?"

"You know the plan, get ahead of them, locate them and capture them or kill 'em off if necessary"

"That's not what I meant. I mean after this mess, what should we do about the detective? The cover up for the whole mess in the city would be easy. We just have to blame it on some random terrorists on the red list, tell people that they are behind Stryke and drop false info here and there for the media to suck on. What bothers me though is that detective, he knows too much." West massaged his forehead.

"Are you suggesting we kill him? That's crazy. We can't even find the guy. Besides we can strike out a deal with him so that he'll hush about the whole thing and our involvement in it." Moore really doesn't want to bring harm to the detective; it would just be a big loss.

"We'll see. But if he threatens to spill anything, I'll do anything to take him out" West looked at Moore in the eyes. Moore knew that his friend meant what he said.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

_"Sergei is dead huh?" _ L thought as he ate his Banofee pie. _"I wonder how many of them are out there. Well I'm pretty sure they'd try to target the president next but that would be quite tough but before they can make another move, I shall get to them. Now how should I do that? 2 more days till that countdown ends."_ His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened and Misa came bouncing in.

"Hey!" she called as she slumped down the couch next to him.

"What is it?" L said in a very unwelcoming tone.

"Jeez, you can at least pretend that you're happy to see me." Misa pouted and poked his cheek.

"Do you have any business with me?" he looked at her. He took her in again because he knew that one of the members of Stryke knew her and he doesn't want her to come into anymore danger. Taking her in though has its pros and cons. She is too bubbly and chatty, it annoys him at times but at the same time having her around makes him feel better.

"Do I always have to have some business to see you?" Misa frowned

"I'm busy with something right now." He said turning to his laptop.

"I guess I do have business with you" Misa pouted.

"What is it?"

"Allow me to at least go visit other floors of the building"

"Out of the question."

"What?! I'm dying of boredom here!" Misa ranted

"It is not proven that someone dies from boredom, if they do die due to boredom that would take at least a couple of months or so for that to happen, without any external contact or forms of entertainment. Boredom can tweak a person's sanity and can turn them hostile, even towards themselves and that might cause their demise. Besides I'm not yet sure of that guys intentions in approaching you. He did made a very bold move to approach you, given that he was aware of his status and you were in an area near the police station. Despite him not eliminating you when he had a chance, I can't say for sure that he's harmless, given what he's done. You wouldn't want to kick the bucket soon , right Misa?" L said without looking away from his laptop.

"ALRIGHT FINE! Whatever you say ever so great Master L!" she stood up and marched out the door with a foul mood. L just sighed and paused his typing to finish his food.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

"So you've sent 4th to trail 2nd?" said a tall, lean man as he walked around the dimly lit bedroom. Pulling his tie off his neck and opening the buttons of his shirt halfway down revealing well-toned abs.

"Yep. 2nd has been off our radar for a while now, I mean he hasn't called since yesterday evening. I'm sure he ain't dead though but I'm worried that he'd do something stupid."

"Mint, please tell 4th to bring 2nd to me when he finds him" The man held his phone with his cheek and shoulder for a while to arrange something on the nightstand drawer. "He must be busy with something other than Stryke."

"Whatever you say Master." came the reply then the call ended.

_"That 2__nd__, what's he thinking?" _he sighed as he placed his phone on the nightstand. He heard a door slide open and he turned to look. Behind him was a naked brunette bombshell, seductively making her way to him. The woman crawled to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Looks like I'm in for some treat tonight" he said as he planted a kiss on the woman's lips.

"Yes, you are" she replied as she lightly bit his ear. "Looks like father have been making you work extra hard lately"

"It's alright, whoever said that working for the secretary of defense is easy. Besides, I have you to help me relieve the stress" he said as he turned to her and planted kisses on her neck making her moan.

"Is the country in some sort of eminent danger that you have to slave away these days?" she said as she finished unbuttoning his shirt. He chuckled and pushed her down to the bed.

"I don't know. But you, my dear are in danger." He whispered provocatively to her ears with a small devious laugh.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Misa tossed and turned in her bed. She looked at the clock hanging on the wall and found out that it was already half past 12. _"I'd grow dark circles like L if I don't get enough sleep"_ she thought with a sigh. She sat up and decided to go check on the detective. _"He's probably busy with something but I find it amusing when he gets annoyed by me"_ she giggled at the thought of him.

She tiptoed as she walked across the hallway. _"He sure has cash to spend. I mean he occupied the whole 20__th__ floor and the rooftop of this high end residential building. Seriously, only old men with spare cash do that. Well, he is L, #1 detective in the world according to Grant and who would ever think that he's also Coil. I won't be surprised if the 3__rd__ best is also him. What a guy. Doesn't he do anything other than solve cases?" _She thought.

The last room on the hall was L's office/ room. Upon reaching it Misa opened it slowly trying her best not to make any unnecessary sounds . She planned to sneak on him and try to scare him but to her dismay there was no sign of L at her 1st glance and so she tip toed in. She was surprised to find him on a meditating position on the floor. Misa tried her best to suppress her laughter and tip toed closer to him.

_"This is really weird. He looks dead to me" _she thought as she kneeled in front of L who didn't seem to notice her presence.

_"Is this how he sleeps? Don't tell me he's meditating or something?"_ She moved her face closer to his, just observing him. As she inched closer to him, he opened his eyes, gazing right at her. To her surprise, she lost her balance and fell on him. L was pushed down to the floor with Misa on top of him.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in your room sleeping?" He said in his usual tone.

"You're alive! I thought you are dead or something!" Misa blurted out not knowing what to say in that embarrassing situation.

"That doesn't answer my question" he replied. He looked down and a dash of pink appeared on his dead pale face. Misa followed his stare and she realized that he was looking at her boobs. This was when their position sunk in to Misa. _"We're so close again. This is just too much for me"_ she thought as she quickly remove herself from him and covered her chest with her arms.

He sat up and looked at her. "Are you trying to seduce me?" he asks ever so casually.

"No!" Misa defended as she looked at L who was right next to her scrutinizing her with that gaze of his. "What made you say that? I just thought I could annoy the hell out of you that's all"

"In those clothes?" L eyed her from head to toe. She was wearing a black silk night dress, quite revealing indeed.

"Pervert!" Misa exclaimed as she sent her hand flying to slap L but he caught her hand.

"Not this time" he said with a smile of a victor.

_"Oh heavens! He's holding me"_ she thought as she felt the words stuck in her throat. He moved his face closer to her and he just looked at her. She was blushing madly.

"Please…don't look at me like that" she said that supposed to be private thought out loud.

"Looks like I did a better job at seduction than you" Upon hearing him say this Misa pulled her hand from him. She held his face with both her hands and kissed him. It was an impulsive move. It was a close lip kiss that Misa ended after a few seconds but just as Misa pulled herself away from him, he pulled her back and kissed her.

Misa felt like she was going melt with what L was doing. He slowly ran his tongue in her lower lip as if to savor it and then slipped it in her. She can't help but to respond to his kiss. Just as Misa was getting all fired up he pulled himself from her.

"Just as I thought, I'm never wrong with my conclusions." He said and was about to stand up when Misa pulled him back down. She won't let him walk out on her like he always does.

"Ok! You've did a better job at seducing me, Master L" she said mockingly "but you just don't kiss a hot girl like me and leave her hanging. Tell me Master, do you not prefer women?" Misa doesn't know where it was coming from but she believes that those are the things on her mind she shouldn't say but did anyway.

"Don't call me master, it doesn't sound appropriate." L said looking her in the eye "and you shouldn't question people's preferences."

Misa laughed. "So you do prefer men, Master L." she teased "That sure explains a lot now."

Misa was preparing to say more when L kissed her with fervor. He was slowly pushing her down, pinning her down with his body so she can't resist him. Her head started to feel light and those uneasy feelings came rushing throughout her body.

"You're just pushing me Misa and I hate being played around with." He said coldly as their lips parted. He never let himself get carried away by emotions but the foreign feelings she made him feel are twisting him.

"I'm not playing with you." She looked him in the eye. "I like you! Isn't it obvious?" She can't believe she said it. She has never before in her life confessed to a guy, because they're the ones who do the confession to her.

She can see the surprise in his eyes despite the lack of expression on his face. She gently touched his face. After gathering enough confidence she said, "I don't know why exactly but I believe I've fallen for you"

"You're just infatuated. No one would fall for me" he said still in his usual tone which made it harder for Misa to know how he really feels.

"That's not true!" she exclaimed.

"You said it yourself. You're not exactly sure why you fell for me. If there is no valid reason then it's not true."

"Jeez L! Does everything have to be logical to you?! There are things in this world that couldn't be explained. I can't explain why I but I love you ok!" she exclaimed.

He just stared at her. He felt weird, like he's all warm inside. He felt happy to hear that she loves him. Happy is a thing he only feels for really good pastries and solving an interesting case. He got off her and rolled to her side and just lay on his back, staring at the ceiling.

"Don't fall for me Misa. You'd end up getting hurt." He said in his usual tone.

"You can't tell someone not to love you and in case you don't know falling in love does entail the risk of getting hurt." She said turning to her side to look at him.

"I'd never be able to love anyone because I never trust others." he said closing his eyes as things rushed to his mind, painful memories. Misa crawled to him and rested her head on his chest. He opened his eyes and looked down at her.

Misa have always dreamt of resting her head on his chest like this and listen to his heartbeat. "L, you don't have to trust me. You don't even have to love me back right away. Just don't push me away from you"

He didn't expect to hear such devotion to him from her. For like almost 10 minutes there was just silence. They haven't even moved from their position. Then Watari entered the door. He was surprised to see the two on the floor. _"Could my assumptions be right that he has affections for Misa?"_ he thought.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt" He excused himself as he saw the two scramble up when they noticed his presence.

"You didn't interrupt anything Watari. What is it?" L said casually.

"Well, someone sent us a request, I thought it was from a client but then turns out the mail contained details about Stryke." Explained the old man.

"Were you able to trace who sent it?"

"No but it was signed by an 'Ash'"

"Could it be?" L said and then he went to the pile of paper in the table and took the one on top. "This is the guy who approached Misa. His birth name was Ashton Chase. He has mistaken Misa as his sister, Ashley. It's possible that the one who sent that was him"

"Also, he made a request"

"What is it?"

"He wants to talk to you. He knows our contact details reserved for our clients in the government and said that he'd contact you at 9 am sharp tomorrow morning."

"Interesting." L muttered. _"First Moore told me that they knew about him hiring me and now one of them knows that private line. Just as I thought, not only does the government has something to do with that project but looks like someone who works for Moore is part of Stryke"_

* * *

_**Note: 2 more chapters and the 2nd arc is going to be over! I looking forward to finishing this arc because in the 3rd arc Light is coming! hahaha Please leave a review! :)) Reviews really makes authors happy *may they be compliments or criticisms* ;D**_


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